times proceeded by pretty near the fame flow, regular steps it does at present. Since we have looked into past times more narrowly, we prove the ancients to have been far lels expert and knowing, than by a fuperftitious reverence for every thing remote, we once were accustomed to fuppofe: and as well from the prefent state of those particular nations, which used to brag most of their extraordinary advancement, and long poffeffion of the sciences; as from the remains of their forefathers' skill, when fairly (v) re being removed from their firft habitations, and living in fertile countries watered by the Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates, may be fuppofed to have preferved more both of the antediluvian and postdiluvian revelations; alfo to have had more leifure for invention, and more free communication with the Ifraelites and Jews; than any other nations. Whereas thofe fmall parties which were driven farther and farther from each other into the extremities of heat and cold, intirely occupied in providing neceffaries for themfelves, and alfo cut off by rivers, mountains, or distance, from all communication with Palaeftine, Egypt, and Chaldaea; would lofe much of their original stock, and have neither inclination nor ability to invent more.' Ŏf the feveral Arts, Cuftoms, religious rites and civil inftitutions which first arofe in Afia, See Conclufion of Mod. Hift. p. 120. Fol.' Any one that fairly examines hiftory, will find thofe accounts more probable, than that extraordinary fuppofition of Ld. Bolingbroke's, viz. that fcience may have come originally from weft to eaf. Ld. B's Works, Vol. IV. p. 14. (Y) It may indeed be imagined, from the great extent of fome ancient cities, fuch as Thebes, Nineveh, Babylon; as well as from the enormous fize of several public works in thofe parts; that the ancient nations were more populous, and that arts have once been in much greater perfection, than they now appear in the world; but upon fecond thoughts, I fancy it will be found, that this was rather owing to an unnatural, gigantic tafte, which then prevailed (as Winder obferves, Hift. of Know. Vol. II. p. 334.) in their architecture, ftatuary, and other arts; as well as in their frame of government, and politics; than to any real improvement in either of thefe; as may be gathered from the vaft numbers of men ufually employed on each occafion; which is a fign, that inftruments of expedition and convenience were not had in the former cafe, ib. p. 321; and that the means of living comfortably at home, were no represented, we find no great reason to envy them their best acquirements; fo far I mean, as concerns real use: for all the worth that fashion and fancy may give things, is out of the question *. Some of them indeed describe their knowledge in high strains; and perhaps for their times, and in comparison with some of their neighbours, it may have been confiderable; and yet 'tis more than probable, that fuch accounts are chiefly owing to their ignorance of the true state of the reft of mankind; as is the case remarkably with the Chinese, a people fo much celebrated by themfelves, and others; who yet, upon more ftrict examination, have appeared in most things of confequence, and where most might have been expected, least of all to deserve a character: fo that nothing but their as fmall acquaintance with the Europeans formerly, as ours with them, could pof lefs wanting in the latter; which might be the occafion of so many ferving abroad in wars, and made the ancient armies fo very numerous as they are commonly reprefented, ib. p. 323. This notion is confirmed, from obferving the like monftrous undertakings carried on entirely by the labour of multitudes, in countries where there could be no room for our fufpecting any extraordinary skill, viz. Mexico and China. See Hume, Polit. Difc. D. x. Though what the ingenious author of a Differtation on the Numbers of Mankind, [Edin. 1753.] has advanced to the contrary, well deferves farther confideration. Comp. Modern Univ. Hift. fol. Vol. III. p. 644. not. F. G. On the fuppofed populoufnefs of thofe northern nations which over-ran the Roman empire, fee Geddes, Misc. Tracts, Vol. III. No. b. P. 13. Robertfon Hift. Ch. V. p. 4. Why the fciences of men's brains have been more fubject to viciffitudes, than the arts of their hands, fee Sprat, Hift. R. S. p. 118, &c. 3d Ed. The operations of the Intellect are more fixed and uniform than those of the Fancy or Tafte. Truth makes an impreffion nearly the fame in every place; the ideas of what is beautiful, elegant or fublime, vary in different Climates.' Robertfon Hift. of Ch. V. p. 322. poffibly give rife to thofe extravagant fentiments and sayings, that are recorded of each other (z). The (z) See the 1ft Part, p. 29, note (†); to which may be added Jenkin, Vol. I. p. 340, &c. Wotton's and Baker's Reflections, under the heads phyfic and aftronomy. Thefe and many other authors fhew us, how little able the Chinese were to make any proper obfervations in their fo much boafted fcience of the heavens, till they were fhewn the way of late by miffionaries: as alfo how monftroufly inaccurate both their chronological and astronomical tables were found to be. See Coftard's Letter in Phil. Tranf. for 1747. Du Halde, their panegyrift, fays, They have applied themselves fromthe beginning of their empire to aftrono my; yet when he comes to explain himself, all their study appears to be a little, low, judicial aftrology, Vol I. fol. Eng. p. 394, So ignorant were they in geography, that their literati feeing a map of the world in the hands of the Jefuits, took one of the two hemifpheres, which contained Europe, Afia, and Africa, for the empire of China, p. 280. [Comp. Travels of fefuits, Vol. II. p. 304.] Some of their curious notions in religion may be feen, p. 254.652.655.657. Their skill in metaphyfics has been touched upon by Gurdon, B. Lect. fect. 14. p. 425, &c. Their mechanics may be judged of, from the Je Suit's account of their taking the first watch he brought thither for a living creature. Boyle on final caufes, p. 230. Their civil policy, from the appointment of an officer in Peking, and other large cities, to deftroy every morning all the Infants expofed in the ftreets; which amounted to a very confiderable number. Mod. Univ. Hift. fol. Vol. I. p. 175. Though others give a different account, Bell, Vol. II. p. 105. Their method of communicating any fcience, from their yet being without any alphabet. See Phil. Tranf. Vol. LIX. p. 495. Some fpecimens of their morals may be feen in Lord Anfon's Voyage, p. 398. 4to. or Leland, Advantage, &c. Vol. II. Part ii. c. 4. Of their government, Anfon B. iii. c. 10. Of the bribery and corruption which reign through the whole Empire, from the higheft tribunals down to the loweft offices, Med. Un. Hift. fol. Vol. III. p. 578. Upon the whole, the Chinese appear to be little better than a nation of fignal hypocrites, who boaft of the equity and excellence of their Jaws, and ftick at no violation of them; and under the fairest outfide, and pretence of juftice and probity, indulge themselves in all manner of extortions, fraud, and villainy.' ib. p. 581. add Conclufion of Mcd. Hift. p. 100. fol. or Terreen's fhort account of their reigning Vice, Obeck Voyage, Vol. II. p. 238, &c. So far are they from being qualified to teach the Europeans morality! That most of those of learning and quality among them border upon Atheism. ib. Vol. IV. B xviii. c, 7. fect. 14. not. G. Comp. Monf. Barbinais's Letters, ib. c. 9, fect. 11. note P. An attempt was lately made fbat the foundation of it has been queftioned. Vid. Mentague againft Needham, and Phil. Tranf. Vol. LIX, No. LXVI.] to fhew that many of their ancient characters are the very fame with those of the Egyptians, with whom they must once have had a confiderable com mu The fame may in a great measure be affirmed of the Egyptian learning . Though this country has been styled the Mother of Arts +, as well as Mistress of Religion ‡; and was, no doubt, as early polished as moft: yet if we be allowed to judge of her improvement in other parts of science, from that most concerning one, and that which therefore in all reafon fhould have been moft cultivated, I mean medicine; of which she also claims the first invention *; we shall not have much room to marvel at her high advances. —' It must evidently appear, fays a learned writer, that the Egyp munication, and from whom they probably derived most of their science, with many of their cuftoms and religious inftitutes; which would prove an effectual confutation of the pretended antiquity and authenticity of their famed annals. Vid. Needham, Epift. de Infcriptione Ægyptiaca. Roma, 1761. & Reponse aux deux Lettres de Monfieur Bartoli. The fame obfervation was made long ago by M. Martinius, Hift. Sin. L. i. p. 23. A. D. 1659. Comp. Huet. Hift. of Commerce, c. 10. and Goguet, on their Hiftory and Chronology, Vol. III. Diff. iii. p. 284, &c. with the curious Extracts from their Hiftorians. ib. p. 300. 308. Comp. Guignes de l'Origin des Chinois and the Letters of M. de Mairan with fome judicious Remarks on them in Gent. Mag. March 1766. add Dr. Sharp Prolegom. ad Opufc. T. Hyde p. 14, &c. and Mod. Univ. Hift. fol. Vol. XVI. c. 9. p. 95. The truth is, there want not grounds of fufpicion, that the old Egyptian learning was not of that elevation, which the prefent di ftance of our age makes us apt to think it was; and a learned man hath, in a fet difcourfe, endeavoured to fhew the great defects that there were in it . Neither can it, I think, be denied, but, according to the reports we have now concerning it, fome parts of their learning were frivolous, a great deal magical, and the reft fhort of that improvement which the acceffion of the parts and industry of after-ages gave unto it'. Stilling fleet, Or. S. B. ii. c. 2. p. 75. add Wotton, Ref. c. 9. Sir T. P. Blount's Eff. iii. P. 153, &c. Vitringa Com. in Jef. Vol. I. p. 540, &c. + Macrob. Sat. L. i. c. 15. Comp. note (x) fupra, p. 208. Conring. de Herm, Med. c. 10, 11, 12. Egyptians could have no fuch physicians in the days of Mofes, as Diodorus and Herodotus seem to fuppofe it is much more probable that ages after these times, they were, like the Babylonians, entirely destitute of persons skillful in curing any diseases that might happen amongst them; and that the best method they could think of after confulting their oracles, was, when any one was fick, they took care to have as many perfons fee and fpeak to him as poffibly could; that if any one who faw the fick perfon, had had the like diftemper, he might say what was proper to be done in that condition +.' From which + Shuckford, Connect. B. ix. p. 367. Babylonii (tefte Herodot. L. i. et Strab. G. L. xvi) languentes in forum efferebant, ut viri qui cos adirent, confulerent hortarenturque ad ea quæ ipfi faciendo effugiffent fimilem morbum, aut alium noviffent effugiffe. Idem factitabant Lufitani et Egyptii. P. Verg. De Inv. Rer. L. i c. 20. Conf. Strab G. L. iii. et Plutarch. de Occult. vivend. That the fame was done in other countries. fee Harle, H. Effay on the State of Phyf. in the O. T. p. 4. The Egyptian practice of phyfic depended much on aftrological and magical grounds, either the inHuence of fome particular planet, or fome tutelar dæmon were ftill confidered; [Wotton, p. 119] which precarious foundation muft needs depreciate their skill, and stop any increase of knowledge which might be made on other principles.' Univ. Hift. Vol. I. p. 219. Αιγυπτιοι λεγεσι ότι αρα τα ανθρωπε το σώμα έξ και τριακοντα διει ληφότες δαίμονες, η θεοι τινες αιθέριοι, εις τοσαυτα μερη νενεμημένου άλλος άλλο τι αυτό νεμειν επιτετακται και δη επικαλωντες ἑαυτες CONTAS TWY μERWV Tа watnμaτa. Celf. ap. Orig. L. viii. p. 416. Ed. Cant. Nor was the method which they are faid to have taken of eftablishing its rules by law [Dind. Sic. L. i. p. 74. Shuckford, B. ix. p. 362. Chandler, Vind. of O.. T. Part ii. p. 442. Goguet, Vol. II. 247.] like to make any great progrefs in that fcience. That furgery was by much the oldeft branch of phyfic, and that this art in general made but very flow advances, till, after fome ages spent in collecting obfervations, it came to the height of reputation under Hippocrates: [where it flood many ages more, and where, as a fcience, foine fay it ftands yet] fee Drake's Notes to Le Clerc, Hyft. Phyf. Part i. B. i. c. 17, &c. What progrefs could be made in anatomy during the ancient fuperftition of the Egyptians, may be feen in Diod. Sic |