in the former of what is admired and coveted by men, and in the latter of that which is acceptable and well-pleafing to God. These two perfons fo unlike one another, are the two first and chief citizens of two different cities, built on different motives, and with different principles; the one, felf-love, and a defire of temporal advantages even to the contemning of the Deity; the other, the love of God, even to the contemning of one's self. NINUS. I have already obferved, that most of the prophane authors look upon him as the first founder of the Affyrian empire, and for that reafon ascribe to him a great part of his father Nimrod's or Belus's actions. Having a defign to enlarge his conquefts, the firft Diod. 1 2. thing he did was to prepare troops and officers ca-P. 90--95pable of promoting his defigns. And having received powerful fuccours from the Arabians his neighbours, he took the field, and in the fpace of feventeen years conquer'd a vaft extent of country, from Egypt as far as to India and Bactriana, which he did not then venture to attack. At his return, before he enter'd upon any new conquests, he had a mind to immortalize his name by the building of a city answerable to the greatness of his power; he called it Niniveh, and built it on the eastern banks of the *Tigris. Poffibly he did no more than finish the work his father had begun. His defign, fays Diodorus, was to make Niniveh the largest and noblest city in the world, and not leave it in the power of thofe that came after him, ever to build, or hope to build, fuch another. Nor was he deceived in his view, for never did any city come up Fecerunt civitates duas amores duo: terrenam fcilicet amor fui ufque ad contemtum Dei; cæleftem vero amor Dei ufque ad contemptum fui. S. Aug. de Civ. Dei, lib. 14. C. 28. * Diodorus fays it was on the bank of the Euphrates, and fpeaks of it as if it was fo, in many places; but he is mistaken. to the greatnefs and magnificence of this: It was one hundred and fifty ftadia (or eighteen miles three quarters) in length, and ninety stadia (or eleven miles and one quarter) in breadth; and confequently was an oblong fquare. Its circumference was four hundred and eighty ftadia, or fixty miles. For this Jon.iii.3. reason we find it faid in the prophet Jonah, That Niniveh was an exceeding great city, of three days. journey; which is to be understood of the whole circuit, or compafs of the city*. The walls of it were an hundred feet high, and of fo confiderable a thicknefs, that three chariots might go a breaft upon them with ease. They were fortify'd and adorn'd with fifteen hundred towers two hundred feet high. A After he had finifhed this prodigious work, he refumed his expedition against the Bactrians. His army, according to the relation of Ctefias, confifted of feventeen hundred thousand foot, two hundred thousand horse, and about fixteen thoufand chariots, arm'd with fcythes. Diodorus adds, that this ought not to appear incredible, fince, not to mention the innumerable armies of Darius and Xerxes, the fingle city of Syracufe, in. the time of Dionyfius the tyrant, furnished one hundred twenty thousand foot, and twelve thousand horfe, befides four hundred veffels well equip'd and provided: And a little before Hannibal's time, Italy, reckoning the citizens and allies together, was able to fend into the field near a million of men. Ninus made himself mafter of a vaft many cities, and at laft laid fiege to Bactria, the capital of the country. Here he would probably have seen all his attempts mifcarry, had it not been for the diligence and affiftance of Semiramis, wife to one of his chief officers, a woman of an un *Tis hard to believe but that Diodorus fpeaks of the bignefs of Niniveh with fome exaggeration; therefore fome learn ed men have reduc'd the ftadium to little more than one half, and reckon Afteen of them to the Roman mile instead of eight. common common courage, and particularly exempt from the weakness of her fex. She was born at Afcalon, a city of Syria. I think it needlefs to recite the account Diodorus gives of her birth, and of the miraculous manner of her being nursed and brought up by pigeons, fince that hiftorian himself looks upon it only as a fabulous ftory. 'Twas Semiramis directed Ninus how to attack the citadel, and by her means he took it, and then became mafter of the city, in which he found an immenfe treasure. The husband of this lady having kill'd himself, to prevent the effects of the king's threats and indignation, who had conceived a violent paffion for his wife, Ninus married Semiramis. After his return to Niniveh, he had a fon by her, whom he called Ninyas. Not long after this he died, and left the queen the government of the kingdom. She in honour of his memory erected him a magnificent monument, which remained a long time after the ruin of Niniveh. I find no appearance of truth in what fome authors Plut. in relate concerning the manner of Semiramis's com- Mor. p. ing to the Throne. According to them, having fe-753cured the chief men of the ftate, and attach'd them to her intereft by her benefactions and promises, she follicited the king with great importunity to put the foveraign power into her hands for the space of five days. He yielded to her intreaties, and all the provinces of the empire were commanded to obey Semiramis. Thefe orders were executed but too exactly for the unfortunate Ninus, who was put to death, either immediately, or after fome years imprisonment. SEMIRA MIS. This princefs applied all her thoughts to immor- Diod. 1. 2. talize her name, and to cover the meannefs of her P. 95. extraction by the greatnefs of her deeds and enterprizes. She proposed to herself to furpafs all her prede Her. 1. 1. * predeceffors in magnificence, and to that end The principal works, which have rendered Baby lon fo famous, are the walls of the city; the keys and the bridge; the lake, Banks, and Canals made for the draining of the river; the palaces and hanging gardens, and the temple of Belus; works of fuch a furprizing magnificence, as is fcarce to be comprehended. Dr. Prideaux having treated this matter very largely, and with great learning, I have nothing to do but to copy after him, or rather to abridge him. I. THE WALLS. Babylon stood on a large flat or plain, in a vec.178,180.ry fat and deep foil. The walls were every way Diodor. 1. prodigious. They were in thickness eighty-feven 2.p.95,96 in height three hundred and fifty, and in comQ.C.1. 5. pafs four hundred and eighty furlongs, which make C. I. fixty of our miles. Thefe walls were drawn round the city in the form of an exact square, each fide of which was one hundred and twenty furlongs, or fifteen miles, in length, and all built of large bricks cemented together with bitumen, a glutinous flime arifing out of the earth in that country, which binds in building much stronger and firmer than lime, and foon grows much harder than the bricks or ftones themselves which it cements together. * We are not to wonder, if we find the founding of a city afcribed to different perfons. 'Tis a common way of fpeaking even among the prophane wri ters to fay, Such a prince built fuch a city, whether he was the person that first founded it, or that only embellifh'd, or enlarg'd it. Thefe |