on it all my time and pains, and earnestly shaking off whatever can tend to interrupt me in a work, which I confider as an effential part of my duty and of my profeffion, in the happy leifure providence has been pleafed to fa vour me with for feveral years, and which I could have employed to a much greater advantage, bad I fooner thought of undertaking the ancient hiftory.

THE

[i]

THE

HISTORY

OF THE

ASSYRIANS.

SECT. I.

The divifion and general plan of this fecond volume.

T

HE fecond volume of the ancient history I now publish, may be divided into three parts or books.

In the first, I fhall treat of the double empire of the Affyrians of Nineveh and Babylon; of the kingdom of the Medes and that of the Lydians.

The fecond will include the history of the foundation and rife of the kingdom of the Medes and Perfians, jointly from the taking of Babylon under Cyrus, Cambyfes and Smerdis Magus, which will properly form the hiftory of Cyrus and this will take up the greatest part of the fecond book.

In the third, I fhall attempt to draw up a general plan of the different ftates of the Greeks, whofe hiftory, from the reign of Darius, will be united and blended with that of the Perfians: It confequently will be proper for me to give a little sketch of thofe various ftates before I proceed further.

SECT.

SECT. II.

Reflections on the different forts of government.

The multiplicity of governments, established among the different nations, of whom I fhall treat, exhibits at first view to the eye and to the understanding, a fpectacle highly worthy our attention; and fhews the aftonishing variety, which the Sovereign of the world has fettled in the empires that divide it, by the diversity of inclinations and manners which are found in each of those nations. We herein perceive the characteristicks of the Deity, who, ever refembling himself in all the works of his creation, takes a pleasure to paint therein, under a thousand fhapes, and to display in it an infinite wisdom, by a wonderful fertility and an admirable fimplicity: fuch a WISDOM; as is able to form a fingle work, to compose a whole, that is perfectly regular, from the different parts of the universe, and from all the productions of nature, notwithstanding they are multiplied and diverfified a numberlefs multitude of

ways.

In the east, the form of government that prevails, is the monarchical, which drawing after it a majeftick pomp, and a haughtiness, that is almoft infeparable from the fupreme authority, hence requires naturally a more evident refpect, and a completer fubmiffion, from thofe, who are fubject to its pow

er.

When we confider Greece, one would be apt to conclude, that a breath or blaft of liberty, a republican fpirit, had spread it felf over every part of that country; and had inspired almost all the nations who inhabit it, with a ftrong thirft for independence, diverfified however under various kinds of government, all which at the fame time are equally abhorrent of fubjection and flavery. In one part of Greece, the fupreme power is lodg'd in the people,

t

people, and is what we call Democracy: in another, it refides in an affembly of the wifemen, and those advanced in years, to which the name of Ariftocracy is given; in a third republick, the government is lodg'd in the hands of a fmall number of felect and powerful perfons, and is called Oligarchy; in others, again, 'tis a mixture of all these parts, or of several of them, and fometimes even of the regal power.

I.

'Tis manifeft, that this variety of governments, which all tend to the fame defign, tho' by different ways, contributes very much to the beauty of the univerfe; and that it can owe its rife to no other Being, than he who governs it with infinite wifdom; and who diffufes univerfally an order and fymmetry, the effect of which is to unite and bind the feveral parts together, and by that means to form one work of the whole. For altho', in this diverfity of governments, fome are better than others, we nevertheless may very juftly affirm, that there is no Rom. 13. power but of God: and that the powers that be, are ordained of God. But neither every ufe that is made of this power, nor every path that leads to it, are from God, tho' every power flows from him: and when we fee thefe governments degenerating, fometimes to violence, factions, defpotick fway and tyranny, 'tis wholly to the paffions of mankind, that we must ascribe these several irregularities, which are directly oppofite to the primitive inftitution of governments, which a fuperiour wifdom afterwards reftores to order, by making them contribute to the execution of his designs, all which are full of equity and justice.

This fcene, or fpectacle, as I before observed, is highly worthy our attention and admiration; and will difplay it felf, by infenfible degrees, in proportion as I advance in the particulars of ancient hiftory, of which, I prefume, it forms an effential part. 'Tis in the view of fixing more strongly the reader's

mind upon this fpectacle, that I think it incumbent on me to add to the account of the events, the feveral particulars which relate to the manners and customs of nations; because these fhew their genius and character, which we may call, in fome measure, the foul of hiftory. For to take notice of events and dates only, and to make these the boundaries of our curiofity, would be imitating the imprudence of a traveller, who, in journeying thro? feveral countries, fhould content himself with knowing the exact diftance of them, and confider only the fituation of the feveral places, the building of cities, and the dreffes of the people; and not once endeavour to converse with the inhabitants, in order to discover their genius, manners, turn of mind, laws and government. Homer, whofe defign was to prefent us, in the perfon of Ulyffes, with the model of a wife and intelligent traveller; informs us, at the very opening of his Odyffey, that his hero inform'd himself very exactly of the manners and customs of the feveral people whofe cities he vifited; in which he ought to be imitated by every perfon, who applies himself to the study of history.

SECT..