Ierom 3941. Iohn Carion 3944. Calvisius Helvicus Alstedius 3947. Origanus Argolus 3949. Scaliger Vbbo Emmius 3950. Cornelius a Lapide 3951. Beda Hermannus Herwart 3952. Landsperg 3958. Iohn Picus Count of Mirandola 3959. Luther Scultetus Iohannes Lucidus 3960. Beroaldus 3961. Sixtus of Siena Abbat Vrspergiensis Chrytreus 3962. Tostatus Melancthon Funcius 396â— Gerardus Mercator Opmeir 3966. Butting Santphurdius 396â— Bulingerus 3969. Nigrinus Pantaleon 3970. Brentzhein Bucholzer 3971. Theophilus of Antioch 3974. Bibliander 3979. Father Petavius 3984 Archbishop Vsher Tirinus Capellus Thomas Lydyat 4000. William Langius 4040. Tornelli Salianus Spondanus 405â— Labbe Muller 4053. Rabbi Moses 4058. Ioseph Son to Mattathias 4103. Laurence Codoman 4142. Riccioli according to the Hebrew and the Vulgar Bible 4184. Odiaton or Edwicon an Astronomer 4320. Cassiodorus 4697. Origines 4830. Adon of Vienna 4832. Methrodorus 5000. S. Epiphanius Bishop of Salamina 5029. Paulus Orosius 5049. Philo Iudaeus Sigibertus 5195. Isidorus of Sevil 5196. Philip of Bergama 5198. Eusebius of Cesarea 5200. Iohn Nauclerus 5201. Rabanus 5296. Albumazar an Astronomer 5328. Isidorus of Pelusium 5336. Petrus de Alliaco 5344. S. Augustin 5353. Theophanes 5500. Cedrenus 5506. Isaac Vossius 5590. Suidas 5600. S. Clement of Alexandria 5624. Riccioli according to the Septuagint 5634. Nicephorus of Constantinople 5700. Lactantius 5801. Philastrius 5801. Father Pezon 5868 or 5872. Onuphrius Panvinus 6310. Alphonsus King of Spain 6984. Of all these various Opinions we must of necessity take up with one for 't would be needless if not vain to pretend to a new one different from all the rest since it is not to be imagined but that among so many Systems there is some or other satisfactory and upon which one may depend For my part I have pitch'd upon the Opinion which places the Birth of our Saviour in the Year of the World 4000. The Reasons for this Choice are these 1. This space of Time is sufficient to explain and answer the Successions of the Patriarchs Judges and Kings in a Word all the History of the People of God which is the main thing to be considered in the choice of this Epocha Now some very learned Men have already made it out how those 4000 Years do exactly comprehend all the Series of Sacred History according to the Hebrew and the Vulgar Bible and besides that they fill up the Vacancies which the Silence of the Scripture has left towards the end of the Fourth Millenary the extent of which we cannot perfectly know without the Help of Prophane History or the Iewish History of Iosephus The PROOF Years of the World GENESIS contains the History of 2369 Years from the Creation of the World to Ioseph's death 2369. EXODVS comprehends the History of 145 Years reaching from the Death of Ioseph to the Year 2514. two Years before the going out of Egypt 2514. LEVITICVS takes in the Transactions of one Month and a half 2514 1 m. ½ The Book of NVMBERS contains the History oâ— 38 Years and a half that is from the second Month after the coming out of Egypt down to the Death of Moses or thereabouts 2552 7 m. ½ 'T is thought that JOB liv'd about this Time and that Moses wrote his History DEVTERONOMY contains the History of one Month and a half 2552 9 m. Therefore the Pentateuch or five Books of MOSES contain the History of 2552 Years and about nine Months 2552 9 m. The Book of IOSHVAH contains the History of 17 Years because it begins at the 41st Year after the coming out of Egypt and ends with the Death of Ioshuah 2570. The Book of IVDGES comprehends the History of 317 Years it begins at the Death of Ioshuah and ends at that of Sampson 2887. The History of RUTH happen'd under one of the Judges The First Book of SAMVEL contains the History of 101 Years because it begins with the first Year of the Administration of Heli towards the Year 2848. and ends with the Death of Saul in the Year 2949. However this Book does but add 60 Years to the History of the Book of Iudges because the forty Years of Heli's Government of which the first Chapters of the First Book of Samuel give the Particulars are included in Sampson's Time and therefore contained in the 317 Years of the Book of Iudges 2949. The Second Book of SAMVEL contains the History of David's Reign of about 40 Years 2989. The First Book of KINGS contains the History of Solomon's Reign and some Kings of Israel in all about 126 Years 3115. The Second Book of KINGS comprehends the History of 308 Years during which we see the Wars and Misfortunes of 16 Kings of Iuda and 12 Kings of Israel and the Downfal of those two Kingdoms But because the first Chapter of this Second Book concerning Ochosias and Iosaphat run back towards the Year of the World 3108. by that Reason the 308 Years reach no farther than the Year of the World 3456. The History of TOBIAH happens about this time The First Book of CHRONICLES is an Abridgment of the History of the World from Adam to the return from the Captivity Afterwards the Author resuming the History of David in particular pursues it at large till the time that Solomon was crowned King towards the Year of the World 2990. The Second Book of CHRONICLES contains the Sacred History from the Year of the World 2990. down to the Year 3468. at which time ended the 70 Years of the Captivity So that these two Books do but add 52 Years to the History of the People of God 3468. The First Book of ESDRAS contains the History of 82 Years beginning at the end of the Captivity of Babylon and reaching to the 20th Year of Artaxerxes Longimanus and the Year of the World 3550. The Second Book of ESDRAS contains the History of 31 Years as far as the beginning of the Reign of Darius Nothus in the Year of the World 3581. From the Year 3581. where ends the Second Book of Esdras the Scripture gives us no Account of what has happened during 250 Years This Silence and Vacancy cannot be supply'd otherwise than by the Help of Prophane History which about this time being clear and full of Light we may easily perceive that there are 250 Years from the end of the Second Book of Esdras down to the Maccabees or the Reign of Antiochus Epiphanes This Silence of 250 Years lasts to the Year of the World 3830. The Two Books of MACCABEES contain the History of 40 Years and so they lead us as far as the Year of the World 3870. The Holy Scripture fails us again in this Place where we find a Silence of 130 Years which continues till the Birth of our Saviour in the Year of the World 4000. This 130 Years Silence may be supply'd by the Hiâ—story of the Iews which Iosephus has probably extracted from the Journals of the High Priests 'T is plain by this Chronology of the Historieâ— Books of the Bible that the space of 4000
than any of those Authors who have acquir'd so great Reputation in the World and procur'd Greece the Title of The Mother of Sciences and Arts for he liv'd near 500 Years before Homer 800 before the Philosopher Thales who writ the first concerning Nature 900 before Pythagoras and above 1100 before either Socrates Plato or Aristotle who have been the most celebrated and chief Masters of all the Wisdom of Greece Preface to the French Translation of Genesis 3. It is true that Moses writ the History of the Creation a long time after it since that he writ Genesis it may be about the Year of the World 2550. But this ought not to gravel any Man of Sense for when once he has conceived that Mâ—ses foresaw future Things through the Spirit of God which revealed them to him it will not be hard to believe that he was also Inspired with those that were past and before his Days This History also may be very well establish'd without having any recourse to Revelation for it is possible Moses might have said to those of his Time I am resolved to write of the Transactions from the beginning of the World to this Day and of which I believe no Body can be better inform'd than my self for Amram my Father has often said to me Son I will relate to you all the History of the World down even to us according as I have learnt it from Levi my Grandfather who had what he told me from Isaac his Grandfather with whom he liv'd 33 Years And as for what relates to Isaac he might have heard all what he told Levi from Sem with whom he liv'd also 50 Years Now nothing can be more probable than that Sem might say to Isaac after this manner You may safely believe what I tell you about the Deluge since I have been an Eye-witness of all I pretend to know And you ought likewise to believe me when I acquaint you about the Creation of the World and of all what relates to Adam since I liv'd near 100 Years with Methusalem my Great Grandfather who learnt all these Matters from Adam himself with whom he liv'd 243 Years So that between Isaac and Adam there are but two Persons Mathusalem and Sem and then between Isaac and Moses his Father there is only one more who is Levi. Insomuch that to speak plainly without having Recourse to Supernatural Proofs never any History deserv'd greater Credit than that of Genesis A TABLE Of the Hereditary and Domestick Traditions of the Patriarchs who might reasonably be presum'd to Instruct one another from Adam even down to Moses  Born in the Year of the World Liv'd Years Dy'd in the Year of the World Adam liv'd 143 Years with 1. 930. 930. Mathusalem liv'd 98 Years with 687. 969. 1656. Sem who liv'd 50 Years with 1558. 600. 2158. Isaac who liv'd 33 Years with 2108. 180. 2288. Levi who liv'd a long time with 2255. 137. 2392. Amram Grandson of Levi whom no doubt he had seen since this Amram was Father of Moses who was born only 41 Years after the Death of Levi. It is certain that Moses writ nothing but what was within the Memory of Man since he was only removed from Adam about Four or Five Generations Between Adam and Isaac there are but two Persons Methusalem and Sem and between Isaac and Amram the Father of Moses there is but one who is Levi. It follows therefore that Adam Methusalem Sem Isaac Levi and Amram the Father of Moses have successively convers'd with and instructed each other in the History of the World which was then only that of their several Families especially at a time when there were no other Histories which Men might apply themselves to or divert themselves with It is not my Design here to confute the several Objections which the Enemies both of the Iewish and Christian Religion have rais'd against the Pentateuch and other Books of the Bible That is altogether foreign to my purpose and would engage me so deep in Theological Disputes that I should quickly lose Sight of my Introduction to History Any one may be satisfied by Monsieur Huetius Bishop of Auranches his learned Treatise concerning Evangelical Demonstration or the famous Father Simon 's Book of the Inspiration of the Sacred Writers what might be answer'd to the frivolous Arguments which Spinosa who liv'd some short time in Holland brought in his trifling Treatise call'd Tractatus Theologico-Politicus against the Truth and Divinity of the Holy Bible This Author tho' born a Iew falls nevertheless very severely upon Judaism without shewing at the same time any great kindness for Christianity So that we may reasonably infer That his Design was to abolish all Religion particularly the Iewish and Christian and establish Atheism and Libertinism leaving every Body to their liberty of believing what they pleas'd providing at the same time they prov'd no Disturbance to the Common-wealth But Father Simon has sufficiently demonstrated That this Spinosa was a Blockhead and that he understood neither the Criticks of the Scripture nor the Learning of the Iews In a Word what I have said particularly of Genesis may suffice to Imprint in us a more than ordinary Idea of the Authority and Divinity of this Book which is the sole Foundation of all the rest of the Bible The Order of the Books of the Old and New Testament First the Old Testament consists of 45 Books I. Genesis comprehends the History of the Creation of the World the Lives of the Patriarchs the Deluge the Genealogy of the Offspring of Noah down to Ioseph and in short all the History of 2369 Years II. Exodus so call'd from its giving an Account of the coming of the People of Israel out of Egypt contains likewise the Transactions of Moses in the Desert how God gave the Laws of the Decalogue to the People and whatever hapned during the space of 145 Years from the Death of Ioseph to the building of the Tabernacle III. Leviticus which contains the Laws Ceremonies and Sacrifices of the Jewish Religion the perpetual Fire distinguishing Beasts clean from unclean and many other Things of which the Inspection and Management belong'd peculiarly to the Levites IV. Numbers where is to be found the numbering of the People of Israel after they came out of Egypt with their History of 39 Years till they went into the Desert V. Deuteronomy that is The Second Law not that Moses then gave a different Law from what he had before published on Mount Sinai but because he therein renewed it to the Children of such as dy'd in the Desert These are the Five Books of Moses call'd the Pentateâ—ch and which contain the History of 2552 Years and an half computed from the Creation of the World VI. Ioshua 'T is commonly thought Ioshua himself was Author of this Book It comprehends the History of 17 Years to be reckon'd from the death of Moses to that of Ioshua VII Iudges It is
not certainly known who compil'd this Book tho' some ascribe it to Samuel It represents the Republick of the Iews under the Dominion of Iudges counting from the death of Ioshua to that of Sampson It contains a Series of History of it may be 317 Years that is to say from the Year of the World 2570 to 2887. Therein the Israelites are to be found groaning under very severe Hardships God having delivered them over to the Power of their Enemies for the Punishment of their Idolatries VIII Ruth This Book whose Author is not known contains an Example of uncommon Piety and of the singular Providence of God Ruth a Moabitish Woman being not willing to forsake her Mother-in-Law follows her till she comes into her own Country where God so employs his Providence for the Welfare of Ruth that she marries for her second Husband Boas a very rich Man of that Country and becomes Mother of Obed Grand-father of David from whom our Saviour Iesus Christ descended according to the Flesh. There is no doubt but this History of Ruth hapned in the time of the Iudges 'T is said to be during the Administration of Samgar about 28 Years after the death of Ioshua IX The first Book of Samuel contains all that passed under the Governments of Heli and Samuel as likewise under the Reign of Saul for about the space of 101 Years that is from the Year of the World 2848 to 2949. X. The second Book of Samuel comprehends all the Reign of David during 40 Years XI The First Book of Kings contains the History of Solomon's Reign as likewise how his Kingdom was divided after his Death Afterwards it treats of Four Kigns of Iuda There is in this Book a Series of History for the space of 126 Years XII The Second Book of Kings contains the several Reigns of 12 Kings of Israel to the Destruction of that Kingdom and of 16 Kings of Iuda to the Captivity of Babylon This Book also relates wonderful Things of Elijah and Elisha his Companion It contains in all the History of 308 Years The Author of the First and Second Books of Kings is unknown but all together include the space of 597 Years XIII The First Book of the Paralipomenes or Chronicles XIV The Second Book of the Paralipomenes or Chronicles These two Books are so nam'd because they contain the Acts and other Circumstances which had been omitted in the foregoing Historical Books This Second ends at the Year of the World 3468. where ended likewise the 70 Years of Captivity when Cyrus gave Liberty to the People of Iuda to return into their own Country to build their Temple and the Walls of Ierusalem 'T is commonly thought that Esdras was Author of these two Books XV. The First Book of Esdras according to the common Opinion was written by the Person whose Name it bears It contains the History of the Captivity of the Iews with their Deliverance and Re-establishment in Iudea from the first Year of Cyrus his Reign to the 20th of Artaxerxes sirnam'd the Long-handed All which comprehends the space of 28 Years computing from the Year of the World 3468 to 3550. XVI The Second Book of Esdras was compil'd by Nehemiah It begins at the 20th Year of Artaxerxes and continues even to the beginning of the Reign of Darius his Son sirnam'd the Bastard which comprehends the History of the Iews during 31 Years and extends to the Year of the World 3581. XVII Tobit There are those that are of Opinion that Tobit the Father and the Son were the Compilers of their own History but this carries no Authority along with it Tobit was one of those Israelites that was transported out of Samaria by King Senacherib This Book includes several great Examples of Virtue and excellent Principles of Morality You may there observe Tobit faithful to God even under strange Trials His Charity the Care he had to bury the Dead his Patience after he had lost his Sight and finally his admirable Instructions of Piety to his Son Tobit the Son informs us with what Dispositions we are to engage in Marriage In a word the Providence of God towards all those that put their Trust in him shines throughout the whole course of this Book XVIII Iudith The Author of this Book is by no means known Huetius was of Opinion That it was writ during the Captivity in Babylon tho' the History of Iudith related in this Book hapned according to the Opinion of the Learned before this Captivity Thus it is thought that this wonderful Expeditâ—on of that Pious Widow who was 64 Years old when she cut off Holofernes's Head was transacted after King Manasses was Re-establish'd Iudith liv'd 41 Years after this bold Action that is to say to the Year of the World 3389. when she was 109 Years of Age. XIX Esther The History of Esther hapen'd under the Reign of Darius Son of Histaspes It is Ahasuerus who is all along mention'd in this Book The Composure of it is attributed to Mordecai but it appears to me that Esther might also have had a hand in it XX. Iob. It is thought that this Book was first written in Arabick and afterwards Translated into Hebrew by Moses The History of Iob can by no means be a Fiction the Persons and Nations therein mention'd by their proper Names the several Testimonies of Tobit Ezekiel and S. Iames together with the Sentiments of the ancient Fathers ought to convince us that this Story is true Iob was either before Moses or else at the same time with him and this History probably hapned during the Israelites being in the Desert because there is no mention made in it of the written Law XXI The Psalms These are commonly ascrib'd to David altho' there be many that are none of his and which have been written a long time after his Death as well by Esdras as other Prophets XXII The Proverbs of Solomon This Book was Compos'd by him whose Name it bears and contains excellent Precepts of Life as well in what relates to the Service of God as our duty towards our Neighbour XXIII Ecclesiastes also belongs to Solomon This Book decries perfectly the Vanity of the greatest Enjoyments in this World XXIV The Canticles or Song of Songs is also of Solomon This Book is altogether Mystical It describes in a very lively manner the incomprehensible Love of Christ towards the Church his Spouse as likewise the Churches return to Christ. S. Ierom observes that among the Iews none were suffer'd to read this Book till they had attain'd the Age of 30 Years so that we may say with this Father That Solomon writ his Proverbs for those that were just entred in the Paths of Piety his Ecclesiastes for such as were somewhat advanc'd But for his Canticles they requir'd a Mind altogether elevated and disengag'd from the Clogs of this World XXV The Book of Wisdom This Book contains the Spirit and many other Things of Solomon altho' in all
likelihood he was none of the Author of it It may be divided into 3 Parts 1. Until the VII Chapter it is an Exhortation to the Study and Love of Wisdom 2. To the X. Chapter it Explains the Origin of Wisdom 3. All the rest Describes the Effects and Productions of Wisdom XXVI Ecclesiasticus was Compos'd in imitation of Solomon's Ecclesiastes as may appear by the great number of Moral Sentences almost the same with his Iesus Son of Sirach writ it in Hebrew whereof S. Ierom says he has seen a Copy The Greater Prophets XXVII Isaiah of these is the Chief and most Excellent He himself has collected into one Volume all the Prophecies he made under the several Reigns of Osias Ioathan Ahaz Ezechias and even to the time of Manasses by whose Command according to the Tradition of the Iews he was cruelly Saw'd asunder with a wooden Saw XXVIII Ieremiah Prophecy'd for 45 Years to wit from the third Year of King Iosias to the fifth after the Taking of Ierusalem and Destruction of the Temple that is to say from the Year of the World 3375. to 3420. and 584 Years before the Birth of Christ. He was of the Sacerdotal Race He always declar'd after an undaunted manner against the Irregularities of his Time His Style according to S. Ierom is Mean as to Words but Majestick in its Thought The Prophet Baruch was his Secretary who in Collecting the several Prophecies which Ieremiah has made upon divers Occasions observ'd no order of Time This Holy Prophet was Ston'd by some impious Iews in Egypt who were not able to bear with the freedom of his Admonitions XXIX Baruch was Secretary and Disciple to Ieremiah which does not hinder but he might be of Noble Birth as Iosephus says he was He says himself that he wrote this Book of Prophesies in Babylon but it is not exactly known at what time XXX Ezechiel of the Sacerdotal Race was Transported under Iechonias into Babylon where he began to Prophesie the fifth Year after his Captivity His Book is all over full of Riddles and Figures and which 't is thought he affected to the end that the Caldeans might not be acquainted with the condition of Affairs among the Iews He foretold the Deliverance of this People the Reign of Messias the Calling of the Gentiles the establishing of the Church its Victories and the Downfall of its opposers XXXI Daniel descended of a Royal Stock was carried when but an Infant a Captive into Babylon by Nebuchodonozor He was Educated in the Learning of the Caldees for 3 Years It was about this time that he deliver'd Susanna accus'd by the two Vicious Elders and that but a little after he began to Prophesie The Iews will not allow him a place among the Prophets because say they he liv'd in the Babylonish Court rather like a Courtier than a Person inspir'd by God nevertheless Iesus Christ himself stiles him a Prophet The Twelve Minor Prophets XXXII Hoseas writ all the Prophesies that go under his Name S. Ierom finds his Style Pathetic and Sententious He Prophesied under 4 Kings viz. Iosiah Ioathan Ahaz and Hezechias In his Prophecies he takes upon himself the Person of God He quarrels with punishes and repudiates the Synagogue which he represents as if taken in Adultery and places the Church in its stead Thus he foretels 1. The Reprobation of the Synagogue and the Calling of the Church 2. He reproves Idolatry and the other Crimes of the Israelites And 3. He promises Mercy and Salvation to all such as shall be reclaim'd XXXIII Ioel. It is no easie matter to find out what time he Prophesied He foretels the Destruction of Ierusalem and under the Symbol of that City he speaks of the Destruction of the whole World and the last Judgment XXXIV Amos was a Shepherd or Herdsman of Tecoa a poor Town God who never makes use of slender Abilities chose this Person for a Prophet in the Time of Iosias King of Iuda and Ieroboam Son of Ioas King of Israel two Years before that Earthquake which hapned towards the 23d Year of Iosias's Reign about the Year of the World 3216. and 788 Years before the Birth of Christ. XXXV Obadiah It is not known about what time he Prophesied It is thought to be this Prophet that is mention'd in the III. Book of Kings Chapter the 18. and Verse 4. who was Governor of Ahabs House and who nourish'd the hundred Prophets in a Cave Of all the Prophets his Prophecy is the shortest altho' for the Mysteries it contains it yeilds in nothing to the others Prophecies says S. Ierom. XXXVI Ionas whom God sent to Niniveh to Preach Repentance not unlikely under the Reign of Phul which we believe to be Father of Sardanapalus about the Year of the World 3197. and 807 Years before the Birth of Christ. He was the only Prophet that God sent among the Gentiles He himself was Author of the Account of his Mission to Nineveh He was Native of Geth-Checher a Town belonging to the Tribe of Zabulon in Galilee This shews either the Ignorance or Malice of the Pharisees when they said to Nicodemus Art thou also of Galilee Search and look for there was never any Prophet came out of those Parts John 7.52 XXXVII Micah Prophesied under the Reign of Ioathan Ahaz and Hezechias He has the Character of Wit and Style like to that of Isaias He inveys vehemently against the Idolatry as well of the Two as the Ten Tribes He proclaims the Ruin of Samaria and the Captivity of those of Ierusalem by the Assyrians and Caldeans and he also foretels their deliverance and that Christ shall be born in Bethlem XXXVIII Nahum whose Country is unknown foretels the Destruction of Nineveh by the Caldeans because that People had persecuted the People of God It is likewise a little uncertain where he Prophesied XXXIX Habakkuk Neither his Country nor the time when he Prophesied is known There would be no great difficulty to know the time providing this Habakkuk were the same that the Angel carry'd by the Hair of the Head to Daniel's Den but which the Learned will by no means have to be XL. Zephania Illustrious by his Birth was of the Tribe of Simeon He liv'd at the same time with Ieremiah whose Works he seems to have Abridg'd especially considering his conformity of Style He speaks plainly of the Calling of the Gentiles the Foundation of the Church the Remission of Sins of Sanctification and Eternal Salvation by Iesus Christ. XLI Haggai earnestly exhorts the People of God to the building of the Temple He complains of the Iews neglect therein and promises Zorobabel who undertook that Work after it had been basely forsaken that the Messiah should be born of his Race XLII Zachariah liv'd in the time of Haggai and he also sollicited the re-building of the Temple He is full of Enigmas and Figures he speaks nevertheless very plainly of the coming of Christ and of his Life and Passion
XLIII Malachi Prophesied after the re-edifying of the Temple He reproves the several Abuses which were crept into the Iewish Discipline As he is the last of the Prophets and that no more was to be expected till the coming of Iesus Christ he exhorts the People to stick to the Law of Moses till the Messiah should appear in the World XLIV The I. Book of Maccabees XLV The II. Book of Maccabees These two Books contain the State of the Church under the Third Monarchy which was that of the Greeks continuing Forty Years from the Death of Alexander the Great to that of Demetrius Soter The Second Book is an Abridgment of the Book of Iason who was one of the Iews of Cirena The Author of the First Book is not the Author of the Second as it appears to the Learned both from the difference of Style and different manner of counting the Years Secondly The New Testament contains 27 Books I. The Gospel according to St. Matthew was writ about 6 Years after the Death of Christ at the request of those Iews who had imbrac'd the Christian Faith St. Matthew from a Publican became an Apostle He has undertaken in his Gospel to relate the Royal Race of our Saviour and to represent him according to the Life he led in the Flesh wherefore he speaks chieflly as St. Austin remarks of those Actions and Instructions in which the Son of God has in a manner temper'd his Wisdom with his Divine Majesty that he might render the Example of his Life the more Imitable and Agreeable to our Weakness II. The Gospel according to St. Mark was written in the 3d Year of Claudius or the 43d of Christ according to the ordinary way of Reckoning that is 10 Years after our Saviour's Death This Gospel St. Mark writ at Rome at the request of the Christians of that Church and according to the Instructions he had receiv'd from St. Peter whose Disciple he had been He has follow'd St. Matthew in a many Things and in some places only abridg'd him nevertheless there are many Passages he has dwelt longer upon and observ'd many considerable Circumstances which St. Matthew omitted III. The Gospel according to St. Luke was writ by him 23 Years after Christs Ascension This St. Luke was a Physician and as he was very well acquainâ—ed with the Greek Tongue he has writ more elegantly than either St. Mark or St. Iohn He was not of the number of Apostles as was St. Matthew and St. Iohn but one of their Disciples in like manner as Saint Mark. IV. The Gospel according to St. Iohn the Son of Zebedee and Brother of St. Iames sirnam'd Major was written at Ephesus about the Year of Christ 96. and 63 Years after his Passion upon occasion of the Heresy of Cerinthus and Ebion both which maintain'd That Iesus Christ was but a Man whereupon all the Bishops of Asia and several others entreated St. Iohn to treat more largely on the Matter than the Three Apostles his Predecessors had done and to establish Christ's Divinity beyond Contradiction It was hereupon that Saint Austin observ'd That the other Three Evangelists had only trac'd Christ upon the Earth and as it were walk'd along with him in recounting the Actions of his mortal Life but that St. Iohn had soar'd like an Eagle above human Pitch and discover'd the Word even in the Bosom of God without being dazled with the Lustre of his Glory V. The Acts of the Apostles are properly the Birth and Establishment of the Church which was about the time of the Death of Jesus and the Accomplishment of all his Mysteries St. Paul is particularly celebrated in this History it having been writ by St. Luke who was his Disciple This Book contains the History of 29 or 30 Years from the death of Christ to the time St. Paul was carry'd Prisoner to Rome the first time which was in the Year 63. Which makes some believe that St. Luke wrote this Book at Rome at the same time The Epistles of St. Paul VI. His Epistle to the Romans is plac'd first not that it was writ first but according to the Dignity of the Place and the Church where it was writ The Subject of it is to abate the excessive Pride of the Iews and Gentiles and to unite under Jesus Christ as the Corner-stone by the Bonds of Grace and a Spirit of Humility This Epistle was writ from Corinth in the Year of Christ 57. and 24 Years after his Passion VII His First Epistle to the Corinthians he writ from Ephesus about the Year of Christ 57. and 24 Years after Christ's death Therein St. Paul lessens the Pagan Eloquence and Philosophy which the Corinthians so greatly admir'd He teaches 'em moreover how to prepare for the Communion c. VIII His Second Epistle to the Corinthians writ from Macedon near the same time with the First and sent them by Titus and St. Luke St. Paul therein chiefly admonishes the Corinthians to beware of false Apostles whom he attacks severely naming them Deceitful Workers and Ministers of the Devil IX His Epistle to the Galatians was writ to these People from Lesser Asia a little while after they had been converted by him upon account of false Teachers who had seduced them by persuading them that the Gospel would not be sufficient to save them unless they continu'd to Circumcise their Children and to submit to other Ceremonies of the Law He brings many Books out of Scripture to dissuade the Galatians from this Error and to convince them that they ought no longer to be Slaves under the Old Law but to enjoy the Freedom of the New This Epistle was writ from Ephesus in the Year of Christ 56. and 23 Years after his Passion X. His Epistle to the Ephesians writ from Rome when St. Paul was in Bonds there about the Year of Christ 62. and 29 Years after his Passion This great Apostle therein admonishes the Inhabitants of this Metropolis of Asia Minor not to give Ear to the Preachers of Iudaism who would not only have the Law join'd to the Gospel but also intermixt many other Fables with this Error XI His Epistle to the Philippians writ to the Christians of Philippi in Macedonia from Rome where St. Paul was then Prisoner Here this Holy Apostle professes a more than ordinary Affection for that People which he had Converted and who sent him thither considerable Subsistence when he was in want He exhorts them to continue always stedfast in their Faith to decline Disputes to love Prayer to be humble and charitable to each other to be unshaken in Adversity and to be always replenished with Peace and Joy XII His Epistle to the Colossians writ from Rome while he was Prisoner there in the Year of Christ 62. This People being of Phrygia not far from Laodicea having receiv'd the Faith they were afterwards not a little pester'd with ignorant Seducers who would needs intermix Iudaism and Philosophy with the Gospel St.
wiser for they did not allow every Body to compile their Histories The Pontiffs who had the care of Divine Worship and the Ceremonial part of their Religion had likewise the Charge of making their Annals wherein they were to take notice of the most famous Occurrences in their State from Year to Year This Cicero acquaints us with when he says Erat Historia nihil aliud nisi Annalium confectio cui rei Memoriae Publicae causa ab initio rerum humanarum usque ad Publ. Mutium Pontificem Maximum res omnes singulorum Annorum mandabat literis Pontifex Maximus Lib. 2. de Orat. These Annals also were very plain They contain'd no more than a Summary Account of Matters without entring into many Particulars It was the Genius of the antient Romans to affect Plainness They were more intent upon deserving Praise than hearing it and they never complimented one Man with what was only due to the whole Place A Glimpse of this primitive Simplicity may appear in their Fasti Consulares which was scarce any more than a downright Catalogue of the Roman Consuls These Reasons which we have given to doubt of the Truth of History ought not nevertheless to extinguish in us all sort of Belief for what Historians have written There are Rules before prescrib'd to direct us in antient History which are the very Quintescence of Criticism that is whatever good Sense or a sound Judgment could invent to precaution a heedless Reader against either the Ignorance Negligence or Insincerity of a Writer Into how many Errors would a Man fall if he had not some sort of regard to these Rules But since it is absolutely necessary for every body to be acquainted with the worth of an Historian before they read him I shall proceed to draw some faint Sketches of those that have been most famous in the World since it is my Intention here to be exact but not tedious CHAP. V. The most Celebrated Authors that have written of Church-History THE History of the Church under the Law is contain'd among the sacred Writers which we are never to question as we have said before yet whatever Esteem we may have for these Historians we are by no means forbid to make use of our Reason when we read 'em but are allow'd to Condemn or Approve 'em as we think fit Over and above the Books of the Bible which treat of the old Iewish Church we have also the Writings of Philo and Iosephus both which we shall say something of by reason of the excellency of their Works 1. Philo was a Iew of Alexandria who liv'd under the reign of Caius Caligula and who was Head of an Embassy which the Iews dispatch'd to that Emperor Amongst other Things he writ the life of Moses and Ioseph as also a Relation of his Embassy to Rome wherein he did not succeed Caligula being extreamly offended that the Iews had refus'd to have his Statue in their Synagogue This Author is altogether Platonick for he imitates so exactly Plato's Style that he has been term'd by some The Iewish Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut Plato Philonem aut Philo Platonem imitatur In his Book he explains the Bible allegorically He is Eloquent and very Diffusive and his Moral comes very near that of the Christians 2. Iosephus surnam'd Flavius on account of the Emperor Vespatian was a Iew of the sacerdotal Race of the Asmonians He was born in the 37th Year of our Saviour and dy'd in the 93d He has written the History of the Iews from the Creation of the World to the twelfth Year of them This Work he entitles The Iewish Antiquities He has also written an Account of the Iewish Wars with the Romans and of the Sacking of Ierusalem He has likewise written his own life two excellent Tracts against Appion a Pagan and one concerning the Martyrdom of the Maccabees Photius says that Iosephus writ Nicely that he knew how to charm his Readers and that he has all along judiciously embelish'd his History with florid Descriptions and eloquent Harangues St. Ierom calls him the Titus Livius of the Greeks and Erasmus says That his History of the Death of the Maccabees is a Masterpiece of Eloquence Authors of the Church-History I. Hegesippus was a Iew that embrac'd Christianity He came to Rome in the Pontificat of Pope Anicetus and continu'd there till the time of Elutherius that is from the Year of Christ 165 to 180. He is the first Author which has compos'd a Body of Church-History which he divided into V Books and in which he relates the most remarkable Occurrences in the Church from our Saviour's Passion to the time wherein he wrote We have only some Fragments of this Work now remaining which Eusebius has Collected and inserted into his History Under the Name of Hegesippus goes an History of the Iewish Wars and of the Destruction of Ierusalem divided into V Books But says Du Pin it is certain that this Work does not belong to Hegesippus but to an Author who liv'd since Constantin Some attribute this History to St. Ambrose because of a Manuscript of it which the famous Father Mabillon found in the Library given by that Saint at Milan and which was therefore suppos'd to have been a Translation of his II. Iulius Africanus was born in Palestine He was deputed by the Emperor Alexander Son of Mammeus to settle the City of Emmaus which was afterwards call'd Nicopolis He wrote a Chronicle from the beginning of the World to the 3d Year of the Emperor Heliogabalus which he divided into V Books and wherein he briefly relates all the memorable Occurrences down to his Time This Work we have not at present under the Name of Africanus but Eusebius has got it almost all in his Chronicle with some few Additions and Corrections III. Eusebius of Caesarea was born in Iudea towards the end of the Empire of Galienus He was chosen Bishop of Caesarea in the Year of our Lord 313 or 314. He has compos'd several learned Treatises but we shall mention none but those which relate to History 1. His Chronicle which is an Abridgment of Universal History from the Creation of the World to the time when he liv'd which was about the 20th Year of the Reign of the Emperor Constantin This Work contains a great deal of Learning and had no doubt a prodigious deal of Pains and Study bestow'd upon it St. Ierom translated it through tho' we have his first Part but very imperfect 2. His Ecclesiastical History divided into X Books is the chief of all his Works He has there taken notice of all the most memorable Things that have hapned in the Church from the time of our Saviour down to when he wrote He there gives you an exact Account of the several successions of the Bishops in the chieâ—est Cities of the World as likewise of the best Church-Authors and their Books He also reckons up all the Heresies that have crept
succeeded to Michael VI. Emperor of Constantinople This Cedrenus was a great Plagiary having Robb'd Iohn Curopalate of almost all that he says after the death of Michael I. to the Reign of Isack Comnenes It was then customary among the Greeks to rifle the Dead and this ill Example extended also to Letters Eusebius made bold with Africanus George Sincellus a Monk of Constantinople who liv'd in the Eighth Century likewise Pillag'd him in his turn and moreover Criticis'd upon him most unmercifully After him comes George Theophanus a Man in other respects good enough but he could not forbear treading in the Paths of others and enriching himself with the Spâ—ils of such has had gone before him But still herein he was more moderate than George Cedrenus whose Theft was so exceedingly extravagant that Father Labbe the Jesuit in his Book de Script Eccles. expresses himself very much displeas'd when Vossius made it a Question Whether George Cedrenus were more beholden to Iohn Curopalate or Iohn Curopalate to George Cedrenus But the Truth is these modern Greek Peices are of no great Worth for they are generally made up of the Raggs of Antiquity Patch'd and Sow'd unjudiciously together As all these different Greek Works have been generally Stollen I have not thought it convenient to allow 'em any particular Article but imagine I have done sufficient to let the World know how little they ought to be Valu'd XXVII Ingulphus an English-man of London was a Monk in the Abby of Fontenelles in Normandy and afterwards Abbot of Croyland in England He flourish'd between the Years 1050 and 1109. when he dy'd He has written an Account of the Monasteries in England from the Year 664 to 1067. which was the first Year of the Reign of William the Conquerour whose Secretary 't is said Ingulphus was after he became King of England XXVIII Iohn Zonarius a Monk of the Order of St. Basil flourish'd about the Year 1120. He has written an Universal History in III Volumes Whereof the First contains the Affairs of the Jews from the Creation of the World to the Destruction of Ierusalem The Second comprehends an Abridgment of the Roman History from the Foundation of Rome to Constantin the Great The Third contains the Actions of the Eastern Emperors from Constantin to Alexis Comnenes M. Vossius allows this Author a greater share of Genius and Exactness than he seems to have Merited by his Works This Historian before he became a Monk had divers considerable Employments in the Eastern Emperors Courts XXIX Honorius Autunensius so nam'd from his having been Prebendary of the Cathedral Church of Autun in Burgundy He flourish'd under the Reign of the Emperor Henry V. about the Year 1120. There is a very large Chronicle of his which M. Vossius says is a great Honour to its Author being of no common Benefit to the Publick Gloriam sibi publico fâ—uctu quaesivit Volumine quod summa Historiarum vel Magnum Chronicum Opus Nuncupatur Vossius c. We have likewise an Account of the Ecclesiastical Writers from this Author which he entitles De Luminaribus Ecclesiâ—e XXX William of Malmesbury or Somerset a Monk of the Order of St. Benedict in the Monastery of Malmesbury where he was Library-keeper He has Writ Five Books of English History and Two which are call'd Historia Novella It ends with the Year 1142. when it is thought that its Author dy'd He is look'd upon to be one of the best Writers of the History of England XXXI Henry Steronius a Monk of the Abbey of Altaich in Germany liv'd in the 14th Century He has compil'd Annals which begin with the Year 1152. being the First of the Reign of Frederic Barbarossa and proceed on to the Year 1273. when the Emperor Rodolphus I. of the Family of Hapsbourg began his Reign Eberard Arch-deacon of Ratisbonne continues these Annals down to the Year 1305. This Author Steren likewise writ the several Lives of the Emperors Rhodophus of Hapsbourg Adolphus of Nassaw and Albert of Austria down to the Year 1300. Vlriâ— and Conrade Wellirige of Ausbourg two Brothers and Monks of the Order of St. Benedict made an Addition to this Work which extends to the Year 1335. XXXII Henry of Huntingdon Arch-deacon and Canon of Lincoln in England flourish'd about the Year 1153. being the time when Stephen King of England dy'd He has written the History of England in X Books from the Descent of the Angels and Saxons upon Britain to the Year 1153. Polidore Virgil says this was an excellent Historian Historicus Egregius XXXIII Petrus Cemester or Peter the Eâ—ter was Native of Trâ—ies in Champagne He quitted the Benefice which he had in the place of his Birth to become a Member among the Regular Canons of St Victor at Paris where he dy'd in October towards the Year 1198. and his Tomb and Epitaph in the Church of St. Victor have been frequently Visited by the Curious He was a very learn'd Man for the time while he liv'd He compos d the History call'd Scolastick which Sixtus of Siena extreamly commends tho' he says withal that its Author has intermixt with it a great many Apocryphal Actions which have no good Warrant from Antiquity In this History which consists of XVI Books â—he Abridges all the Old and New Testament adding here and there some Notes and Remarks drawn out of the Fathers and some profane Writers XXXIV Otho of Freisingen so nam'd for having been Bishop of that City was Son to Leopold Marquess of Austria equally Illustrious for his Birth Learning and Piety Being Dissatisfied with the Professors of the College of Newbourg which his Father had Founded he went to Study in the University of Paris He afterwards admitted himself of the Order of White-Fryars in the Monastery of Morimond of which in a short time his Virtue advanc'd him to be Abbot Having been chosen Bishop of Freisingen he return'd into Germany in the Year 1148. when he waited on the Emperor Conrade in his Expedition to the Holy-Land But upon his Return being convinc'd more than ever of the Vanity of Things of this World he hasted to his belov'd Retirement of Morimond where he dy'd the 21st of September in the Year 1158. This Otho writ a Chronicle in VII Books from the beginning of the World to the Year 1146. He also compil'd the Life of Frederick Barberossa which Radevic a Canon of Freisingen continu'd XXXV William a French-man tho' some say a German was elected Arch-bishop of Tyre in Phenicia the 30th of May 1175. He has written the History of the Holy-War under Godfrey of Bulloign Which he begins with the Year 1095. and ends with that of 1180. This Work comprehends XXIII Books but the last is not quite finish'd Iohn Harold has hereto added VI Books after a Fashion The Year of William of Tyre's Death is unknown XXXVI Helmodius a Priest of Busoen near Lubec liv'd in the Twelfth Century in the time of the Emperor Frederic
begins with the time of Nembroth and ends with the Year of Christ 1348. This Author was a Florentine XLVIII Flavius Blondus a Native of Forli in Romania was Secretary to Eugenius IV. and divers other Popes He compos'd several Historical Works whereof there are X Books Romae Triumphantis III Romae Restauratae VIII Italiae Illustratae III Decads of the Roman History and a Treatise of the Origin and Actions of the Venetians This Author was a Philosopher who regarded Worldly-acquisitions but little insomuch that Fortune which seldom takes care of those sort of People suffer'd him so far to support his Character as to die Poor the Fourth of Iune in the Year of Christ 1463. Romae Pauper at Philosophum decuit Obiit says Father Labbe XLIX St. Antoninus Arch-bishop of Florence and a Fryer of the Order of St. Dominic liv'd in the Fifteenth Century with all the Reputation and Respect that his great Piety and Learning could procure him Amongst the rest of his Works there is one call'd Summa Historica an Historical Abridgment which consists of three Parts The First is from the beginning of the World to the Reign of Constantin The Second contains all remarkable Passages from Constantin to the Year 1198. being the time of the Pontificat of Innocent III. And the Third begins from thence and ends with the Year 1459. which was the time when he dy'd under the Pontificat of Pius II. and the Empire of Frederic III. L. Aeneas Sylvius who was Pope by the Name of Pius II. He was Born at Corsignano a Village of the Territory of Siena the 18th of October in 1405. After having been employ'd in several important Negotiations wherein he sufficiently demonstrated his great Abilities he was first made Bishop of Siena and then Cardinal by Calistus III. in the Year 1456. and afterwards that Pope being dead he succeeded him under the Name of Pius II. He has compos'd several Works all which denote his great Learning and Judgment but we shall only take notice of those that relate to History He has compil'd the History of the Council of Basile in II Books He also Abridg'd the History of Flavius Blondas There is also a Cosmography of his or the History of the whole World There is likewise his Europaean History which contains several remarkable Transactions in his time 'T is also believ'd that he wrote his own Life tho' it goes under the Name of Iohn Gobelin his Secretary He dy'd the 14th of August in the Year 1464. when about 58 Years Old LI. Laonicus Chalcocondylas an Athenian who liv'd in the Fifteenth Century He has written in Greek an History of the Turks in X Books which he begins with Othoman Son of Orthogulus who liv'd in the Year 1300. and carries it on to the Year 1463. When Mahomet II. was in War with the Venetians and Mathias King of Hungary It has moreover an Appendix which reaches down to 1565. LII B. Platina Native of Cremona according to Father Labbe and of Verona if we may believe Moreri was born in the Fifteenth Century His Name was not Baptist as some have thought but Bartholomew His quick Parts occasion'd him to be universally Esteem'd especially at Rome whither he went under the Pontificat of Pope Calistus II. and was very Munificently receiv'd by Cardinal Bessarion But Pope Paul II. became very much his Enemy and kept him four Months in Prison after which his Successor Sixtus IV. who knew him better bestow'd on him the Care of his Library in the Vatican He wrote the Lives of the Popes down to Paul II. which Work Onuphrius Panvinius a Fryar of the Order of St. Austin at Verona who liv'd in the Sixteenth Century continu'd to his time which was about the Year 1568. when he dy'd at Salermo Platina dy'd at Rome of the Plague in the Year 1481. LIII Anthony Bonfinius a Native of Ascoli liv'd towards the Year 1495. He was a very honest and laborious Man and had learnt almost all Languages It was at the request of Mathias Corvinus King of Hungary and Bohemia that he undertook the History of Hungary which he carry'd on to the Year 1495. It consists of IV Decads and half that is XLV Books LIV. Robertus Gaguinus Head of the Order of the Trinity was very much in favour with Charles VIII and Lewis XII of France where he had the keeping of the Royal Library He has compos'd several Works but the most considerable is his History of France in XII Books which reach down to the Reign of Charles VIII LV. Marcus Antonius Sabellicus Son to a Poor Farrier in Italy was a great Lover of Learning in which he made a considerable progress in a very short time We have a History of his from the beginning of the World to the Year of Christ 1504. And a History of the Affairs of Venice Paulus Iovius says that he dy'd at Venice in the Year 1506. LVI Iames Phillip of Bergamos of the Order of the Hermits of St. Austin was a Person of singular Merit and whom Pope Innocent VIII honour'd with a particular Esteem He compos'd a Chronicle which began at the Creation of the World and ended with the Year 1503. which was the Seventieth Year of the Age of this Author He liv'd afterwards Fifteen Years and dy'd about Eighty five Years Old in the Year 1518. LVII Iohannes Rauclerus a Noble-Man of Germany Son to Iohn Vergehau was Provost of the Church of Subingen and afterwards Professor of the Canon-Law in the University of that City This University was Founded by Count Everard afterwards First Duke of Wirtemberg in his return from Ierusalem in the Year 1477. Nauclerus was made Vice-Chancellor of it He has written a Chronicle from the beginning of the World to the Year 1500. which Nicolas Baselius continu'd down to the Year 1514. and which Surius likewise carry'd on farther to the Year 1574. The time of this Nauclerus his Death is Unknown LVIII Albert Krantz Doctor of Divinity and Dean of the Church of Hambourg liv'd towards the beginning of the Sixteenth Century He was a Man of great Learning join'd with admirable Piety The chiefest of his Works is an Ecclesiastical History entituled Metropolis wherein he treats of the Churches Founded and Restor'd by Charlemagne He has also compil'd an History of the Saxons in XIII Books Another of the Vandals in XIV and a Chronicle of Sweden Denmark and Norway which begins with Charlemagne and is carry'd on to the Year 1504. This Author dy'd the 7th of December 1517. which was the Year that Martin Luther first publish'd his Doctrin LIX Iames Wimphelinge a Priest of the Church of Spire and Professor in the University of Heidelberg liv'd in the beginning of the Sixteenth Century He was both Divine Orator Philosopher Poet and Historian He compos'd these Books viz. Epitome Imperatorum Rerum in Germania Gestarum De Episcopis Argentirensibus c. I could never meet with the time of his Death only
the Relations thereof as they are with any of the pretty Fictions of Romance and Poety and 't is certain that true History is likely to make better Impressions even on the Minds of these Men than any Fable or Tale whatever More might be said to demonstrate the Usefulness and Necessity os History and that it is a very necessary part of Knowledge or Learning But so much is said upon this Topick in the First Chapter of the Second Part of this System that we refer our Reader thither Having said thus much in General we think it proper to give the Reader an Account of our Undertaking in particular and then to shew how great a use may be made of this short System we have drawn of Vniversal History We are very sensible that there are several Tracts of this Nature in Latin and French and some in our own Tongue but whether they are so accurate and exact or whether they take in so much as this short Treatise does we must leave to the Judicious and Candid to determine In the general we must own That notwithstanding the Care and Pains we have been at in Compiling this System there may be several Faults and Slips therein but we hope they are only such as an ingenuous good Nature will be inclin'd to pardon And truly it can never be expected that any Undertaking of this kind should be perfect and correct till such time as Historians out of whose Writings such a Collection must be taken are better agreed among themselves as to the Chronological as well as the Historical part of what they relate This First Volume of our System we have divided into three Parts In the First Part we have treated of Chronology as being a necessary Preparation for the useful Reading of History Therein we have given you the General Definitions laid down the Grounds and Rules of the Art taken Notice of the Uncertainty thereof and of the various Opinions of Authors concerning the Time of our Saviours Birth Afterwards we have set down the most remarkable Aeraâ—s and rang'd the whole space of time from the Creation of the World down to our Days under XIV distinct Epocha's oâ— Periods By this means the Reader is instructed and inform'd at what time any memorable Action happen'd and when such or such a Hero signaliz'd himself in the World who were his Cotemporaries and what the rest of the World were doing at the same time We need not enlarge upon the Usefulness of Chronology since every Body knows that for want of an exacâ— Knowledge therein ancient Historians were much in the Dark and often confounded Persons and Things whilst our modern Writers being guided by a clearer Insight into the Series of Times are more exact clear and distinct in their Relations both of Matters of Fact and of the Agents concern'd therein The Second Part is an Introduction to History wheâ—ein the Benefits thereof are prov'd to be so great and so many that we hope none who impartially considers the Weight of them will deny the Knowledg of History to be absolutely necessary for the better Conduct of Human Life After this are laid down some usefuâ—l uses both for Writing and Studying of History Then we have given you a Scheme of History both Ecclesiastical and Civil with an Account and Character of the Historians of both sorts The 3d Part treats of the ancient Monarchies which preceded our Saviour's time And herein we have been as exact as the Brevity of such a Volume could possibly admit We have consulted Sir Walter Raleigh Dr. Howel Peâ—avius Calvisius and other considerable Authors and from them have drawn our Historical Collection of the Actions Kings Hero's and great Commanders of these Times And as to the Chronology we have confin'd our selves to the Tables of Helvicus and our Country-man Mr. Tallents for which we have given our Reasons in the Treatise it self And here we must own That we are indebted to Mr. Vallemont a French Author for the Scheme of the whole out of whose Tract Entituled Les Elements de l' Histoire we have translated several Chapters of the First all the Second and the Fifth Chapter of the Third Part. This is in short the Summary of the ensuing Treatise the bare representing whereof we may reasonably suppose to be a sufficient Argument of its Usefulness to all judicious and unprejudic'd Minds As for those Gentlemen who have already perused the voluminous Tracts of the Greek Latin and other Historians 't is hop'd that even they will be very well pleas'd to see at one View what has cost them so much Pains and Time to run over We find Travellers who have been several Years abroad very much delighted when they come home to see in a single Map the Draught of all those Countries through which they have travell'd And must it not needs create as great a Pleasure and Satisfaction in the Minds of such as have read over Herodotus Livy Thucidides and the rest to see the Hero's and Actions of those Historians drawn to the Life in Miniature and represented as it were in the narrow Compass of a single Table Whether it will be so diverting to those who are already vers'd in History or no we cannot so readily determine but yet we are in great hopes it will prove very Beneficial to such as hereafter intend to acquaint themselves with what has pass'd in former Ages To these our System will serve as an Introduction to guide them and give them some Light in the very darkest pieces of Antiquity The taste here given them of the great Use and Benefit of studying History may prove a great means of exciting them to a farther Enquiry after what is more largely related by the whole Tribe of Historians Like the Iewish Spies we have presented you with the rich Fruits of History but hope we have not like them rais'd an evil Report upon the promis'd Land but rather encourag'd you by this Prospect to a further Progress towards and to an entire Conquest of it We need not inform the Learned Men who have the Care and Tuition of young Persons committed to them how useful such a Piece as this may prove to such of their Pupils as are advanc'd to some degree of Learning in their Schools They must needs perceive that nothing can be more advantageous to one who is design'd for an University and who they are willing should make some Figure in the World than to be throughly accquainted with History And they will at the same time see the necessity of allowing him such a Guide as this unless they would have him in a confus'd Darkness march by himself through all the intricate Mazes of Antiquity We desire they would but peruse this Book with the same Candor and Impartiality as they would have other Men do their Works and then we modestly presume that we shall attain our End and that this System will prove useful in in its kind THE CONTENTS PART I.
persuade our selves once for all that we cannot have the Antiquity of the World but within a few Years more or less and ought to look upon all the Projects of restoring the Antiquity of Times to a nice Exactness and Precision as foolish and chimerical III. The different Names which the Assyrians Egyptians Persians and Grecians have given to the same Prince have not a 〈◊〉 contributed to confound the ancient Chronology Three or four Princes have born the Name of Assuerus says the Bishop of Meaux in his Discourse upon History altho' they had others besides If a Man was not told that Nabucodonosor Nabucodrosor and Nabocolasser are but the same Name or the Name of the same Man he could hardly believe it Sargon is the same with Sennacherib Ozias with Azarias and Zedechias with Mathanias Joachos was also câ—lled Sellum Asaraddon which is indifferently pronounced Esar haddon or Asor-haddan is called Asenaphar by the Cutheans and through an unaccountable Diversity Sardanapulus is called Tonos Comoleros by the Greeks Those different Names of the same Person differently pronounced by several Nations according to the various Idioms of their Speech must needs cause a great Confusion and Disorder in Things and Persons This Confusion is so great in the Succession of the Kings of Assyria that it is impossible for a Man ever to be truly satisfied about it IV. We have few Memorials left of the first Monarchies of the World an infinite number of Books being quite lost If Herodotus wrote the History of the Assyrians according to his Promise it never was transmitted to us The Greeks have writ very late and those that have did not understand the Hebrew Language and were often miserably ignorant of the Antiquities of Iudea We may say the same of the Latin Historians who being little skill'd in the Greek Tongue and much less perhaps in the Affairs of the Iews and Grecians have undoubtedly writ a great many Things at a venture and very ill digested The generality of them have studied to please by the Politeness and Delicacy of their Writings and curious and strange Stories and have neglected the Times of the Events they speak of which has cast a great Mist upon History V. The Aera's and Years being different almost in every Nation has occasion'd a great Disorder and Confusion in Chronology The Grecians computed the Time from the Olympiads and the Romans from ' the Foundation of their City More than that some Nations had no Epocha at all and have bethought themselves but late of using them and among the rest 't was only about the Year 532. that the Christians began to reckon their Years from the Birth of JESUS CHRIST The same difference is observable in Years as in Aera's In some Countries they made use of the Lunar Year of 354 Days and in others of the Solar of 365 Days and about six hours Altho' we suppose the Historians to have regarded this difference of Years yet they could not avoid to make some Mistakes in Chronology for besides that People were then ignorant of the true Motion of the Sun and Moon with which we are not perhaps throughly acquainted now adays let Posterity be the Judge 't is certain that among the Republicks of Greece tho' never so well governed and regulated they did not agree about the beginning of the Lunar Year One begun it precisely at the Conjunction of the Sun and Moon Another two Days after that is when the New Moon began to be seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And others began their Year at the Full Moon The several Nations of the World have been no less divided about the Season where the Year should began The Hebrews Chaldeans Egyptians and Persians begin it with the Autumn or Fall of the Leaf the Grecians towards the Summer Solstice and the Romans about the Winter's The Mahometans just at the Equinox in the Spring the Indian Gentiles the First Day of March and the Arabians at the time of the Sun 's entering the Sign of Leo. All these Things have thrown Chronology into so great an Obscurity that it is not in the Power of the greatest Skill in the World to pierce through all the dark Mists which that variety of Aera's and Years has cast over the Face of History Therefore Varro most wisely calls uncertain obscure and fabulous the generality of those Events related by Historians to have happen'd before the Olympiads Dionysius Halicarnasseus says positively Lib. 1. That there is nothing certain in all that the History mentions concerning the Transactions before the War of Troy Macrobius assures us That we must not expect any Certainty in Roman Histories when they relate any thing that happen'd 260 Years before the Foundation of Rome and that concerning those Times Writers are rather Tellers of Fables than Historians S. Iustin the Martyr in Paraenetico maintains That there is nothing constantly true in Greek Histories before the Olympiads and that we have no Account left either by the Grecians or Barbarians to inform us of what happen'd in those remote Ages I have dwelt so long upon this Subject in order to shew that in point of ancient Chronology we must depend upon the Accounts we find in the Holy Scripture since we can expect nothing concerning the first Times from Prophane Historians And here we must take notice of the Wisdom of Providence which has so well ordered Things that we have Light enough to make a firm Concatenation of the Succession of Times for where Prophane History fails us in the first three thousand Years of the World we have the Chronology of the Bible to guide us And when afterwards we find the Accounts of Time more obscure in the Holy Scriptures we meet in Requital with more Light in the Writings of Prophane Authors And there begins the Time which Varro calls Historical because since the Olympiads the Truth of Things begins to be conspicuous in History So that before that Time we must enlighten Prophane History by the help of the Sacred and not pretend to correct the Chronology of the Hebrew Bible and our Vulgar by the Antiquities of the Chaldeans Egyptians and Chinese which is a plain and visible overturning of the Order of Things and no better than to give a blind Guide to one that sees well By all I have said I do not mean to confute the Book of The Antiquity of Times restored my only Design is to caution young People for whom particularly I write against a certain Spirit of Curiosity which has been predominant among us for some Years past and whose stirring Character is too apt to remove those Bounds which we ought to preserve with great Veneration As for the rest I both honour and esteem the Merit of the Author and I am very far from having any Thoughts to offend him §. 2. Eclipses and Aspects of the Planets FRom what I have said about the uncertainty of Chronology some perhaps will be apt to think That the Doctrin
of Times does not deserve our Application and that we must take out of History as much as we can without troubling our selves with a nice Marshalling of the Events according to the Order and Succession of Ages since after all this Order is very doubtful and uncertain I know very well that there are those who will give their Sceptism a free Scope upon this Matter and if their Opinion could prevail ancient History would be in little or no Esteem But it is not fit to depend upon the Judgment of those who never studied Things but superficially and whose Merit wholly consists in a pragmatical peremptory way of delivering their Opinions For if there be doubtful and obscure Things in Chronology there are also those that are undeniably certain and evident There are two Books in the World both Divine ones from whence Chronology draws its Certainty The first is the Book of the Scripture where we find the Years of the Patriarchs Judges Kings and Princes of the People of God whereby we are able to determine within a small Matter the Antiquity of the World and link almost together the whole Succession of Times except some few Breaks and Interruptions which proceed from the Silence of the Scripture and which we shall mark in the following Article But where the Scripture fails us Prophane History comes in to our Help so that we can precisely tell how long that Silence has lasted The other Book which is our second sure Ground for Chronology is that of Nature this as well as the first is the Work of God 1. This Book by furnishing us with the Motions and Aspects of the Sun and Moon and other Planets and above all the Eclipses which are so rightly called the publick celestial and infallible Characters of Times gives certain and demonstrable Arguments to Chronologers of the Times wherein a vast number of the most signal Events of History did happen For an Eclipse either of the Sun or Moon is such a characteristical and identical Mark of a Year that it is easy to distinguish it among an infinite number of others which makes Eclipses to be look'd upon as the most assured Grounds of Chronology Certainly nothing can so well characterize the Year of a Battle of the Foundation of a City or the Death of a Prince as an Eclipse that happens the same Day or some Days before or after Since by means of Astronomical Tables it is found that an Eclipse seen upon such or such a Day ought necessarily to have happened in such and such a Year This method is grounded upon Mathematical Demonstrations which is as much as if I had said That it is so certain and evident that Human Reason can never revolt against it By this it appears that in Point of Chronology a Man cannot be an exact Critick if he be ignorant of the use of Astronomical Tables for the Calculation of Eclipses Setting aside that this Computation of Eclipses is one of the greatest and most wonderful Effects of the Reach of Human Understanding and that there is an extraordinary Satisfaction in foretelling an Eclipse together with its Greatness and Duration fifty nay even a thousand Years before it happens methinks the great use they are of in History and Chronology is sufficient to recommend Astronomy to us by whose Help we arrive at the Pleasure of calculating them to a very nice Precision And therefore we must conclude that none but the dull and ignorant Despisers of all good Literature can entertain an Indifference for so fine and important a Knowledge Now since the Certainty which Eclipses give to History is infallible we must account our selves happy for the care Historians have taken to mention so great a number of them 'T is true their Diligence as to this Matter is particularly owing to the foolish Error of the ancient Heathens who look'd upon these Phenomena as Presages of the Death of some great Person or of the Fall of an Empire However when Historians have mark'd the Days wherein Eclipses did happen they have left at the same time assured Signs and Characters to know the Years of the Events which fell out about the same Time This is the Reason why the Eclipses mentioned by Historians have been so carefully collected by skilful Chronologers Calvisius makes his Chronology depend upon 127 Eclipses of the Moon and 144 of the Sun which he assures us he has calculated himself Thus by an Eclipse of the Sun mentioned by Iustin Lib. 22. Cap. 6. which happen'd when Agathocles the Tyrant of Sicily was crossing the Sea to go over into Africa against the Carthaginians it is found by an Astronomical Calculation That this was in the Year of the World 3634. and 316 Years before the Vulgar Aera on the Fifteenth of August 2. The great Conjunction of the two superior Planets Saturn and Iupiter whereby these two Stars having run through all the four Trigons meet again according to Kepler at the end of 800 Years in the same degree of the Zodiack would be also one of the most excellent Methods to distinguish and characterize the Times if Historians had taken notice of those rare and unfrequent Aspects Archbishop Vsher tells us That in the Year of the World 3998. two Years before the Birth of our Saviour there was a great Conjunction of those Planets such as never happens but once in 800 Years There have been but Eight of these great Conjunctions since the Creation of the World as one may see by Astronomical Calculations The last of them happen'd in the beginning of this Century in the Month of December 1603. 3. All the Aspects of the Planets which happen but seldom might serve also for natural Characters to mark the Times 4. But among these natural Characters some are called Civil or Artificial because invented by Men Such as the Solar and Lunar Cycles the Roman Indictions Easter the Leap-year Among the Iews the Iubilees and Sabbatical Years and among the Heathens the Combats and publick Games such as the Olympick which were always celebrated in a determined Time §. 3. Epocha's THe third Foundation of Chronology is drawn from certain constant Epocha's which none of the Chronologers and Historians ever called in question Those fixed Points in Chronology are like firm Places where one may stand and consider upwards and downwards the more slippery and dark Passages of History We have here set down 29 of those Fundamental Points which most Chronologers agree upon with relation to the Years of the Iulian Period and those that preceded the Birth of our Saviour I have borrowed them from Father Petavius a Jesuit a famous Chronologer Rationar Tempor par 2. lib. 1. cap. 15. which obliges me in imitation of that learned Man to range those 29 Epochs by the Years of the Iulian Period that we may use them as a common assured and standing Rule to direct us in the dark Places of Chronology Years of the Julian Period Years before Jesus Christ. 4676.
However to give it the better Authâ—â—rity we will set down the Words of Iustus Lipsius 〈◊〉 his 61st Epist. In the Knowledge of Times it is enouâ—â— says he to understand the general Series and Order Things and to see where the Empires Wars and 〈◊〉 remarkable Events have their beginning and end Aâ— he wish'd that some Body would give us such a Tabâ—â— Dionysius Petavius has answer'd his Desire and puâ—â—lish'd Chronological Tables in Latin And of 〈◊〉 Days the like has been done in English in a smâ—â—â— Pocket Volume ingeniously contriv'd by Colonel Pâ—â—â—sons Others have multiplied the Tables to that degâ—â—â— that they make up a whole Book which 't is true are 〈◊〉 more compleat and of excellent Use when the Reaâ—â—â— is grown to more Proficiency Of these Helvicus is 〈◊〉 best unless our Country-man Mr. Tallent may be pâ—â—â—ferr'd And then to make the better Impression on the Mâ—â—mory I would have the whole History of the Woâ—â—â— divided into certain Epocha's which should commeâ—â— from some very notable Action and by Synchroâ—â— apply'd to other Actions by which means the times 〈◊〉 smaller Events would be the better remember'd Again as Geometricians resolve a Problemn by examining it part by part and forming an Analysis so here if the History be divided first into Two afterwards into Three Four or more Epocha's it will much facilitate the Learning 'T is for this Reason that we have made use of this Method proposing first only the great Aera's of the World and our Saviour then divide it into 4 7 and 13 parts the Times whereof having fixed we proceed to set down Particulars in a larger Chronology divided into Fifteen Royal Epocha's 'T is not to be express'd what a vast Light these different Divisions of the Times will give to this Study from which People have always been discourag'd by reason of its Obscurity It is well known That Division among Logicians is one of their best Means of arriving to the exact Knowledge of any Subject in Dispute which made Socrates call it An Art inspired by God §. 1. First Division of the Times into two Parts THe First Part contains all that space of Time from the Creation of the World to the Birth of JESUS CHRIST which according to our Computation through all this Book is of 3950 Years This is properly what they call The Time of the Old Testament During this long Extent we see the Estaâ—lishment and Downfal of three Great Monarchies â—iz the Assyrian Persian and Grecian which have preceded the Empire of the Romans In that space of 40 Centuries we shall find also a â—reat Number of other States Kingdoms and Repubâ—icks the greatest part of which became Roman Proâ—inces when Rome a little before the Birth of the Son of God made her self Mistress of the whole Universe The Second Part contains all the Time elapsed from the Birth of JESUS CHRIST to this present â—ime which according to the Vulgar Computation is â—698 Years This is what they call the Time of the New Testament which space of 17 Ages comprehends all the most considerable Events and Transactions in the Roman Empire in the Eastern and Western Empires in the Kingdoms of France Spain and England and in the other States and Republicks of Europe Asia Africa and America These are the two most important Epocha's in History One is the Creation of the World by the Eternal Father and the other the Restauration of the World by the Son of God consubstantial to his Father §. 2. Second Divison of the Times into three Parts according to Varro VArro divides the whole Series of Ages into three Times the first of which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obscure and uncertain the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or fabulous and the third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Historical I. The obscure and uncertain Time is that from the first Original of Mankind down to the Deluge oâ— Ogiges about the Year of the World 2154. and 17â—â— Years before the Vulgar Aera and 1020 before thâ— Frist Olympiad This Time is called obscure and uncertain because the Historios of the Nations of the World give no Account of what has happen'd for 2â— Centuries II. The fabulous Time begins at the Deluge of Ogiges and reaches as far as the Olympiads that is to thâ— Year of the World 3174. and 776 Years before thâ— Vulgar Aera and lasts 1020 Years It is called fabulous because in effect whatever Prophane Historian have written about those Times is intermixt with 〈◊〉 great many Fables What they relate about the Argoâ—nautes Vlysses Helena Hercules and some others is foâ— incoherent that we know not what to think of it Wâ— must make the same Judgment of the Burning of Troy And if we should strictly examine what Poets have lefâ— us upon that Subject we should perhaps be apt to beâ—lieve That Troy was never but a Fiction of their Imagination What Herodotus relates from the Taking of Troy to the Olympiads signifies very little and is intermix'd with a great many Tales and Romantick Stories If he had been serious in his Accounts of the Scythians Egyptians and several other Nations we should be obliged to call him the Father of Lies and Fables whom Cicero honours with the Title of the Father of History But tho' we should be forc'd to give Credit to those Relations which carry so few Characters of Truth with them we would not therefore be much the better for it since Herodotus's History reaching no higher than Giges King of the Lydians who lived about the Year of the World 3238. and 712 Years before the Vulgar Aera he leaves us at a Loss and in the Dark for about 3300 Years of which he gives no Account What we find in Berosus Manetho Metasthenes Philo and Annius is still very uncertain and there 's a great deal of Reason to doubt whither there ever were Kings that bore the Names which those Authors give them And indeed we meet no where in all the Old Testament with the Name of any of those Kings of the Assyrians so much celebrated by Prophane Historians whereas we often meet with those of the Princes of the Moabites Ammonites Mesopotamia Egypt Syria and others less considerable that have been either the Enemies or Allies of the Iews We must not expect more Light from other Historians Diodorus Siculus begins his History at the Siege of Troy Trogus Pompeius ascends no higher than Ninus and who shall instruct us of what has happened before those Times Christian Religion into whose Hands the Holy Scriptures are deposited can alone by the Light she draws from them connect the first Times into a continued and uninterrupted Succession from the beginning of the World to the Return from the Babylonian Captivity And then as we find more Obscurity in the Accounts of Time in the Holy Scripture we find in requital more Light in the Writings of Prophane Authors However we must observe That the Bible serves only to
Great Mogol descended from him Wenceslaus the Emperor depos'd 1399. Rupert of Bavaria succeeds 1400. By reason of the many Civil Wars Italy throws of the German Yoke and several Governors of Cities make themselves absolute as the Scaligers in Verona thâ— House of Est at Ferrara the Gonzagues at Mantua c. Sigismond K. of Hungary chosen Emperor 1410 He erected Savoy into a Dutchy in favour 〈◊〉 Armedeus 141â— Henry V. King of England 141â— He is victorious in France wins the famous Battle at Agincourt 1415. The Government of that Kingdom is resign'd to him by the King Charles VI. 142â— Iohn VII Paleologus Emperor at Constantinople 1417. Henry VI. a Child King of England 142â— Loses what his Father had gain'd in France Richard Duke of York claims the Crown 144â— The Rebellion of Iack Cade suppress'd 1450. The King is worsted by the Yorkists and finally depos'd 1â—60 Albert of Austria chosen Emperor 143â— Frederick of Austria his Brother succeeds 144â— The Art of Printing invented 144â— Iohn Huniades Emperor of Constantinople 144â— Is victorious against the Turks Scanderbeg Prince of Epirus famous for his Victorâ—â—â— over the Turks 144â— Constantine XIII Paleologus the last Christian Emperor of Constantinople famous for his Valour 1443. Mahomet II. call'd the Great Sultan of Turks 1451. Takes Constantinople Constantine being slain puts an end to that Empire 1453. EPOCHA XIII Constantinople taken by the Turks and the Christian Empire of the East terminated 1453. This Epocha is continued as far as the Year 1660. wherein King Charles being Restor'd the ancient Lawful Government of England was re-establish'd IT must be confess'd that this Epocha begins not so happily as those that have gone before it for whereas almost every one of them commenc'd from some great Action whereby the Almighty bestow'd some benefit upon his People this alas begins with a deplorable state of the Christian World and shews us the expulsion of the true Religion out of Greece and its Neighbouring Provinces by the entrance of the Mahometan Cruelty into Europe after it had ravag'd almost all Asia and Africa But it must be acknowledg'd that the Divine Providence was just in this Punishment of those unworthy Christians who by intruding Heresies first caused Schisms and continual Feuds in the Church and afterwards by Superstition profain'd their most Holy Religion and yet by bitter Persecution destroy'd the Holy Professors of true Christianity that in those Ages oppos'd themselves to the innovated Idolatry and Superstition We might justly enough call the last Epocha Dark and Illitarate as we must Name this that follows the Enlightned and Learned Age of Christianity for the Northern Barbarians that over-run Europe in the Fourth and Fifth Centuries had so effectually swept away all sâ—â—ts of Learning that tho' themselves afterwards beâ—ame Christians and somewhat Polite yet it requir'd Ages of Time to revive that Learning which they had destroy'd and in effect what thro' the Wars that happen'd and thro' the absolute Power the Clergy exercis'd which gave them an opportunity of living Lazily in Convents all the Sciences and even Arts too were in a very low Estate till in this Century the discovery of the Art of Printing put Books into the Hands of the Laity the which being follow'd in the next Age with the appearance of those great Literati Picus Mirandula Desider Erasmus Mars Ficinus c. Learning began to Revive and by the continued zealous prosecution of the Work that those great Men begun we may now venture to say We have almost arriv'd to the Perfection of those Ages wherein the Greeks and Romans made themselves immortal by their great Erudition and Ingenuity That wonderfully useful Instrument the Marinerâ— Compass had been found out in the beginning of the Fourteenth Century by the help whereof the Portugueze had ventur'd to Navigate on the Coasts of Africa and by degrees advancing we find them at length towards the end of this Age got as far as India from whence they brought by Sea vast quantities of the rich Commodities of those Parts which before that time came but sparingly hither because brought over an immense Tract of Land to Alexandria before we could receive 'em This was follow'd by a discovery of a new World which Christopher Colombus with great Hazard as well as Skill and Pains found out and thereby gave the Spanish Monarch an opportunity of encreasing his Dominions to an almost infinite extent and of enriching Europe to an inexpressible degree out of the inexhaustible Mines of Mexico and Peru. The following Epocha shews us moreover the Church reform'd and the Christian Religion restor'd to its ancient Purity a Blessing of inestimable value and which we ought all to praise God for and continually pray that he lets not again Superstition to prevail or which is worse Atheism and Irreligion to Profane our Piety Years of Jes. Chr. The Turks having taken Constantinople proceed in their Conquests and gain the Peloponnesus now call'd Morea 1459. Edward IV. Son to Richard Duke of York who had been slain in his Wars against Henry VI. gains the Crown of England 1460. Marries the Lady Gray which disgusts his great Friend the Earl of Warwick 1465. Warwick raises Wars against him and in the end forces him to fly the Kingdom 1470. Henry plac'd on the Throne again after 9 Years Imprisonment but Edward soon expells him 1471. He dies leaving his Crown to his young Son Edward V. 1483. Maximilian of Austria Son to the Emperor Frederick Marries Mary Heiress of Burgundy 1477. They had Issue Philip who Married Ioan the Daughter of Ferdinand King of Spain by which all the Netherlands became afterwards united to that Kingdom Maximilian chosen Emperor 1493. Richard Duke of Glocester usurps the Throne and Murders his Nephews 1483. Richard III. a Tyrant slain at Bosworth by Henry VII who was of the Lancastrian Family and Marry'd the Daughter of Edward IV. declar'd King 1485. Is oppos'd by two Impostors Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck 1486 1499. In the Year 1454. the Portugueze discover'd the Cape of Good Hope and prosecuting their Voyaging they at length got as far as the East-Indies which was discover'd by Vasq. de Gama who was sent by the King of Portugal to that purpose and arriv'd before Calicurt May the 20th 1498. Ferdinand King of Arragon and Isabella Queen of Castille by Marriage unite those Kingdoms and erect the Monarchy of Spain 1474. Ferdinand expels the Moors out of Spain and erects the Inquisition against them which gains him the Title of Catholick 1496. Christopher Columbus a Native of Genoa having partly by his own Study in Geography and partly by Information of some Seamen who had been driven on some far Western Coast conceiv'd an Opinion That there was a large Country Westward of us yet unknown apply'd himself zealously for the Discovery of it to which purpose he first desir'd Assistance of the State of Genoa afterwards of our King Henry VII and of Emanuel King
of the Ancients familiar to you since you may there gain with Pleasure and without Difficulty what has cost others so much Care and Labour The Art of Government so exceedingly capricious and tedious which could otherwise be attained to only by a long Experience and tiresome Custom is taught by History with all the Ease imaginable There â—ou may meet both Virtues and Vices in their proper Dresses as likewise observe the various Conditions of Humane Life together with the parpetual Instability and Vicissitude of Things of this World as also the Establishment Revolutions and Fall of Empires In a word you may there observe how Virtue goes seldom unrewarded nor Vice unpunished and that therefore it is the surest way to Glory and Honour to be Innocent and Iust and to abhor Vice which the â—â—â—enging Hand of God has branded with Infamy in this World and prepared Punishments for in the other The great Character History bestows on good Men and the Ignominy it casts on the Bad with that Severity which neither spares the Crown nor the Mitre are sufficient Motives to inspire the Love of Virtue and Abâ—orrence of Vice Cornelius Tacitus says very well That it is not one of the least Benefits of History that Vice is always therein represented Infamous for thereby great Men are deterr'd from evil Courses for fear of the Iustice of an impartial Historian Let a Prince be never so great a Libertine he will always have regard to his Reputation even at a time when he has the greatest Contempt for Virtue The Emperor Tiberius who was immoderately cruel and voluptuous would no doubt have been yet more Vicious had not he dreaded the Account his Historian would have given of him wherefore you see him retire at length from the Eye of the World and hide himself where he thought to be secure from an Impartial Pen. Can there then be a Study more useful to Mankind especially to Princes than where they find treasured up all manner of Rules for their Conduct Selymus Emperor of the Turks did not acquire that great Reputation which almost obscur'd the Memory of his Predecessors who treated History with the greatest Contempt but by causing Caesar's Commentaries to be Translated into his Language for thereby he became so true an observer of the Conduct of that great Captain that in a short time he Conquer'd the greatest part of the Lesser Asia and Africa Also Caesar himself did not arrive to that pitch of Glory and Honour that we find he did but through a violent Emulation which he conceiv'd at reading of the Life of Alexander insomuch that he could not refrain from Tears when he consider'd that he had done little at an Age when that mighty Conqueror had subdu'd so many Kingdoms Yet however great might be Alexander's Ambition it is certain that he had form'd his design of Conquering the World upon reading of the Actions of Achilles in Homer and whom he chose all along for his Model But not to go out of France who does not know that the Emperor Charles V. laid the Basis of that prudent and politick Management which afterwards render'd him one of the greatest Princes of Europe upon the Life of Lewis XI written by Philip de Comines Nothing has so great Influence over Mankind as the Impressions receiv'd from the Examples of great Men for we are naturally apt to believe thro a good Opinion we have of our selves that we are capable of doing any thing that has been done before Somewhat like this the Bishop of Meaux speaks of History in his excellent Discourse address'd to the Dauphin For says he tho' History were of no use to other Men yet ought Princes however to read it since there is no better way to bring them acquainted with the Power of Passions and Interests as also with the foâ—ce of Time and of good and bad Councils Histories are made up of nothing but Actions all which seem chiefly to be compil'd for the Vse and Imitation of great Men If Experience be necessary to acquire that Pâ—udence which makes them Govern well there can be nothing more assistant to them than to joyn Examples of Times past to the Experience of Times present Whereas Princes now adays scarce ever care to be convinc'd of any Error but at the Expence of their Subjects or their own Honour when by the help of History they might form an infallible Iudgmâ—nt without running any hazard IV. History has those Charms that it has recovered its Readers from the most dangerous Sicknesses nay even when the Art of Medicine has been at loss for a Remedy Examples of which we have in two Kings of Spain and Sicily Alphonsus and Ferdinand both whose Maladies were so charm'd by reading Livy and Curtius that they were restor'd to their Health when they had been given over by all their Physicians 'T is also reported That Lorenzo de Medici commonly stil'd the Father of Letters was recover'd from a very dangerous Illness by the Relation of a Passage out of the History of the Emperor Conrade III. which was as follows This Emperor having reduced the rebellious City of Veinsberg commanded it to be entirely destroy'd and moreover ordered that its Inhabitants should be all made Prisoners except the Women only Whereupon these Women made their humble Suit to the Emperor that they might save at least what they were able to carry away which being granted Conrade was infinitely surpriz'd to see them march out with their Husbands and Children on their Backs and mov'd to so much Compassion thereby that he immediately pardoned the whole City It was to this Passage that Lorenzo de Medici ow'd his Life which made Bodin to cry out Quanquam Historia salutare est Medicamentum Method ad Histor. Proemio p. 5. V. History is of that known Benefit in discovering the Truth of the Christian Religion that without the Assistance of it and Philosophy we could never be able to oppose the Atheists and Pirrhenians What we borrow from Philosophy to defend Religion with is very considerable and solid for thereby through a Contemplation of the Universe we come to the knowledge of a Sovereign Being which Created and Governs it and likewise are sufficiently convinc'd that this great Work cannot possibly be Eternal In a word The just and due Order of all things of this World produces such a Beauty and Harmony as could not proceed but from the great Wisdom and Power of the Almighty A Philosopher demanding one Day of St. Anthony who liv'd in the Deserts of Appi How he could apply himself to the Contemplation of Heaven without the assistance of Books The Holy Hermit answer'd This vast Globe meaning the World serves me instead of a Library and the Creatures therein contain'd are as so many legible Characters whereby I can discover the Omnipotence of God and which by consequence easily disposes me to a Meditation on his Grandeur St. Clement of Alexandria being inspir'd with the same Thought
said That the World was a large Book written by the Hand of God consisting only of three Leaves which were the Heavens Earth and Sea A long time before which David teaches us That the Heavens declare the glory of God Psalm 18. which no doubt made Tertullian observe that God first laid open the Book of Nature to dispose Men for receiving the divine Writ being willing that they should become Disciples of Nature before they were so of Grace Praemisit Deus Naturam Magistram submissurus Prophetiam quo facilius credat Prophetiae Discipulus Naturae Tertul. de Resurrect Carnis St. Bernard who was as famous for his Learning as his Piety declar'd often to his Friends That the Progress which he had made in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures proceeded from Prayer and Meditation to which he apply'd himself in the Fields and Forests and where he had no other guides but Oaks and Beeches Those Philosophers also who were most deeply orewhelm'd with the shades of Paganism have term'd the World A Cabinet of Contemplation wherein were contain'd all the Curiosities and Riches of Nature which had been so prudently rang'd and order'd by the Sovereign Wisdom Naturae Musaeum We need therefore only open our Eyes to discover the Wonders of Nature govern'd by an Almighty Hand and when I affirm that Philosophy is sufficient to convince us that the World is not Eternal I do not mean only that of the Schools but also that of Nature which is the Portion of all Men. This Philosophy wherein we only make use of our common Sense and Reason helps us to comprehend the Truth of the Christian Religion by a serious Reflection on Nature It is that which inspires us when we say to our selves 1. The World cannot be Eternal because it has sensible Proofs of its varying every Day Mountains lessen and Valleys rise and Rivers roul their Dregs into the Sea where they frequently form dry Land The Sea likewise changes its Shores all which would have been no doubt establish'd and fix'd had the World been from all Eternity 2. Whence proceeds the Motion of so many different Parts Who has order'd the Sun to make his alternative Courses through both the Hemispheres and to occasion Seasons by his Declension and Propinquity Certainly this Motion does not proceed from its Matâ—er which cannot be consider'd but as finite divisible mensurable and susceptible only of Motion from an exâ—ernal Impulse 3. Why is this Matter of which the World is compos'd capable of Motion without which it must have tended altogether to a Chaos How comes it to pass that the smaller Bodies of this Matter are rather mov'd to one side than the other Why if all mov'd with an equal Rapidity are they not always follow'd by one another without falling into those infinite Spaces where the Atheist throws them And seeing the greater Bodies do not all follow the same Track nor move with the same Force as for Example the Planets turn from West to East and the other Stars on the contrary from East to West let any Body tell us who it is that hath determin'd and assign'd these different Motions as well as the Quickness or Rapidity of one and the great Slowness of the other The Moon passes through the Zodiack in a Month whereas Mercury takes up 87 Days to perform that Journey and Venus about 224 the Sun or the Earth rather 365 Days Mars twiâ—â— as many and Saturn 30 Years Why are some of these Bodies plac'd above and others beneath And how comes it to pass that thiâ— Motion continues so long This I am sure is what the Atheists connot give a Reason for To say that Chance has been the cause of all these Things is to say nothing For this Chance what is it Something or Nothing Is it Create or Uncreate If Created then it must neâ—cessarily have a Creator and if it be not Created it must be distinct from Matter and consequently Eternal Incorruptible and therefore God If it be said that this Chance is nothing then can it be only an empty Sound without Signification and being nothing it must by consequence be incapable of Action It is after this manner that Philosophy comes 〈◊〉 the assistance of Religion to defend her against hâ—â— Enemies When History triumphs altogether oveâ— Atheism by relating the Origin of Arts and Scienceâ— and of all other Things that serve either for our Necessities Pleasures or Curiosities She also teaches us that not only the World is not Eternal as the Atheisâ— would have it to be but also that it cannot be 〈◊〉 ancient as the fabulous Egyptian Antiquities suppose it 1. Philosophy began not to be cultivated by Persons that made an express Profession of it till of latter date Every body knows its Origin and that among the Greeks it was first taught by Pythagoras The Moderns have brought it to great Perfection which no doubt it would not have had the same occasion for werâ— it true that the World was Eternal 2. Astronomy was first taught the Grecians by Thales who receiv'd it from the Egyptians as Diogenes Laertius says who wrote his Life and moreover that they had it from the Chaldeans We need make no farther enquiries after it among the Ancients since the Word Chaldean signified the same thing with them as Astrologer There has been great progress made in this Art within this 200 Years 3. Physick which is of much greater use was more Modern Herodotus says that heretofore they brought the Sick into their Market Places and enquir'd of all that pass'd by if they had any Receipt which would be of assistance to them Cato the Censor drove the Physicians out of Rome affirming That the Greeks had sent those Butchers among them to Murther them 4. Law was of no greater Date We can only ascend in search after its Origin from Iustinian's Code to that of Theodorus and from thence to the XII Tables which the Romans had from the Greeks viz. Solon and Lycurgus who likewise learnt them from the Egyptians as Plutarch observes If it be objected that at some time or other a Deluge might have happen'd exceeding that of Noah's which carried off the very memory of Arts and Sciences I must answer by a Question How came the Race of Mankind to escape This therefore cannot be and we may conclude that the World is not Eternal For it would be a very strange thing that Men should for an infinity of Ages been Gross Barbarous without Policy without Laws without Government without Morality Physick Astronomy c. without having the Art of Writing down their Thoughts and tho' they saw the Stars continually pass over their Heads never have curiosity enough to observe the Course of them or enquire into the Causes of Comets and Eclipses nay even to live without discovering the first Elements of Physick and Philosophy or making any progress in Architecture Commerce or Navigation 't is strange that none of the Ages of the
they have writ but are ready to allow that they have often been deceiv'd and nay consequently deceive us In the first part of this Book Page 10. I have inserted some Rules which might serve to resolve any doubts met with in the ancient History But these we are by no means to make use of in relation to the Canonical Writings we must always acquiesce in them whatever difficulties we meet with and adore with Simplicity what may there seem Strange and Incredible to us But as I said before we may take more Liberty with other Authors and Condemn or Applaud 'em as we see good Otherwise we should Sacrifice our Reason to their Authority which we are only oblig'd to do to the Eternal Word of God ARTICLE II. Of Civil History and its Authority THO' we ought to have an implicit Belief through a kind of religious Slavery in whatever the Holy Scripture relates yet need we not allow the same Credit to Men who have all their natural Failings and write only by a fallible Assistance of their Reason As Men therefore were never free from Mistakes and Errors and as they might very well fall into false Opinions either through Ignorance want of due Examination or just Reasoning so their Hearts also might probably be byass'd by the Prospects of Ambition or Interest and consequently they be seduc'd either into Flattery or Insincerity So that tho' Christian Charity allows of no Distrust yet ought we always to be upon our Guard when we read these Books where either Ignorance or Design may so easily lead us astray The Scythians were wont to burn all the Histories that came to their Hands nay they never spar'd any Because said they the Booksellers among the Greeks and Romans had their Shops always so crouded with the Valorous Exploits of their own Country that they left no room for those of other Nations who perhaps might have perform'd Actions as worthy of Applause And where they hapned to have any it was perhaps some Treatise wherein their Neighbours weâ—e look'd upon with the greatest Scorn and Contempt Most Historians have been prepossess'd with an Opinion of their own Country and neglect of due Esteem for the Merits of others whence it comes to pass that we have no History but what is either Imperfect or Partial and consequently no true Account of those Transactions that have from time to time hapned in the World We must observe that the most warlike Nations have ever been the least encouragers of Letters The Muses always prefer'd a Wreath of Olive to a Crown of Laurel They seek Solitude and Quiet and are frighted at the noise of Arms 'T is the Murmurings of a Purling Brook and the gentle Ruffling of a Western wind that encourage and delight them Sciences and Arts have never flourish'd but in those States whose Dominion was Establish'd and Power dreaded Egypt soon quitted its Learning when the War began to enter its Confines Greece equally encreas'd in Knowledge and Conquests and when Rome became Mistress of the World she saw the Muses from all parts fly for Shelter under her Wings Before that Time the Romans were more zealous of doing well than either speaking or writing so and took more care to be the Subject of a Panegyrick than to Pen it There are some Pleasant People in the World who would persuade us that Learning lessens Courage Because say they the Greeks and Romans were never esteem'd so great Soldiers as when they had no Arts nor Sciences among them Phocion one of the wisest and best Men that Athens ever bred whilst he govern'd that State being tyr'd out with the repeated Importunities of the Athenians that they might make War when he knew they understood but very little of the Matter He said to them Were you to contend with your Enemies with Words they would never be able to withstand you because you talk better but whereas Arms can only decide your Differences they will as surely be too hard for you The Lacedemonians on the contrary being less Polite were much better Soldiers for tho' they spoke ill yet they fought well their Hands were more ready than their Tongues and they always gave six blows before they utter'd two words Hence we have the Style we call Laconique or Lacedemonian which is a Concise but Emphatical manner of speaking and writing according to the Custom of the Lacedemonians Wherefore we have an Account of their Actions not from themselves but their Enemies But notwithstanding all this there is no Reason to accuse the Muses of ruining Kingdoms There have ever been People in the World both Learn'd and War-like at a time and in this Age we have Heroes that ought to give way to nothing either to the antient Greeks or Romans and who likewise reconcile the Study of Letters with the Practice of Arms. It were better therefore to say That Kingdoms and Empires have all their destin'd Periods and that they Perish through the same necessity with the Hero and the Scholar But however it be this is most certain that War-like Nations have seldom or never writ their own Histories and much less those of other Nations We know little or nothing of the Celtae or Gauls and are not much better acquainted with the Customs of the Arabs their Priests and other Persons which they set the most value upon The Persian Historians were their Magi being the most considerable among them either for their Knowledge or the Station they held in the Common-wealth The Egyptians who yielded to no other Nation for Insight into all manner of Arts and Sciences entrusted their Priests altogether with the Conservation of their History as likewise their Publick Memoirs which contain'd whatever related either to Policy Physick Mathematicks or Religion It is from these Priests that Diodorus Siculus had his History as he owns in his Second Book Nay tho' Athens abounded with all sorts of Learned Men yet the most celebrated in Greece Travel'd to Egypt meerly to consult these Priests Solon Plato Pythagoras Eudoxus and Democrates had that Knowledge from Egypt with which they afterwards surpriz'd the Learned World Cicero owns ingenuously in his Fifth Book de Finibus that Plato went into Egypt on purpose to learn from those Priests the Knowledge of Heavenly Matters And Pythagoras did more for he not only Travel'd over all Egypt but also went into Persia to consult the Magi about that sort of Learning which was peculiar to them they being beyond any other Nation vers'd in the Knowledge of Antiquity Thus it is plain That the Egyptain Priests and Persian Magi gave themselves chiefly up to History The Greeks were not so careful in this Respect they permitted any to write who had an inclination to do it whence it follow'd that their History was abominably vitiated by this Liberty and they became a Proverb by the many Lies they stufft their Relations with Et quicquid Graecia Mendax Scribit in Historiis But herein the Romans were much
Relation there are many surprizing Stories of wonderful Austerities and Examples which would be dangerous to imitate Several learned Men are of Opinion that this Palladius was likewise Author of the Life of St. Chrysostome X. Paul Orosius a Spanish Priest of the City of Tarragon and Disciple of St. Austin flourish'd under the Emperors Arcadius and Honorius The City of Rome having been taken in the Year 410. by Alaric King of the Goths the Pagans had a mind to render the Christians Odious by accusing them of being the cause thereof as likewise of all the other Calamities which befel the Roman Empire It was upon occasion of this Reproach that Paul Orosius at the Request of St. Austin undertook their Defence by shewing that all Ages have produc'd the like Misfortunes and that the Empire of Rome has never been more free from 'em than since the Birth of Christ. This Work says Du Pin is a kind of Vniversal History divided into VII Books which is not ill writ and yet not over-exact for there are many gross Faults to be met with both in the History and Chronology XI Theodoret Bishop of Cyrus a City of Syria was born in Antioch The Greek Church never had a Prelate more Learn'd and of a better Judgment He was elected into this See about the Year 423. And in 431. he assisted at the Council of Ephesus He wonderfully refuted the Heresies of his time both with Tongue and Pen. Those Works we have of his sufficiently convince us of his deep Learning and great Parts He wrote V Books of Ecclesiastical History which begun with the Heresy of Arius and proceeded on to the time of Theodosius the Younger which likewise Gennadius says he continu'd to the reign of Leo in V other Books but which however are now lost Vtinam quis tantum Thesaurum eruat e Tenebris sicubi adhue delitescunt says Father Labbe the Jesuit Among the other Works of Theodoret there is his Monastical History containing the Lives of the most famous Anchorets of his Time This Book is entituled Philotheus that is as Nicephorus explains it The History of the Beloved of God Herein are related great and wonderful Examples of Virtue XII Socrates say the Schools learnt Grammar at Constantinople under the care of Ammonius and Helladius both Natives of Alexandria He has written an Ecclesiastical History in VII Books which either begins or ends that of Eusebius that is from Constantin and continues to the 17th Consulship of Theodosius the Younger which begins with Festus in the Year 439. so that this History of Socrates comprehends the space of 140. Years Photius says it is very Uncorrect as to its Stile and less Authentick in expounding the Doctrin of the Church He gives us a great deal of reason to believe that he was byass'd to the Errors of the Novatians in that he extreamly commends the Bishops of that Persuasion and blames the Catholicks with a great deal of Vehemence XIII Sozomen Native of Salamis in the Island of Cyprus frequented the Bar for some time at Constantinople He has written IX Books of Ecclesiastical History from the third Consulship of Crispus and Constantin Junior both Sons of Constantin the Great and both Emperors to the seventeenth Consulship of Theodosius Junior that is to say from the Year 324. to the Year 429. We have lost a Continuation of this History for near 20 Years It is somewhat strange that Theodoret Socrates and Sozomenes should all Three undertake the same Work at the same time The reason I suppose must be that they did not like each others Works For it is certain says Nicephorus Writing upon this Subject that the Readers and Writers are often of different Opinions Also these Historians might well be presum'd to favour the Party they Adher'd to XIV Victor of Vtica a Bishop of Africa in the fifth Century of the Church has written an Account of the African Persecution by the Vandals in III Books the beginning whereof shews that it was compos'd in the Year 487. under the Reign of the Emperor Zeno about 60 Years after the Vandals had pass'd from Spain to Africk over the Streights of Gibraltar You shall there meet with a List of the African Bishops which were then involv'd in that Persecution among which Victor himself was not spar'd by the Tyrant Huneric XV. Cassiodorus was Chancellor and chief Minister to Theodoric the Goth and several other Kings of Italy From the Age of 20 Years he was rais'd to all the great Employments in the State all which he acquitted with that Address that he might well serve for a Model to the most refin'd Politicians that succeeded him Under the Reign of Vitigius perceiving the Power of the Goths begin to decrease in Italy he retir'd from the World to his Monastery of Viviers which he had caus'd to be Built on the Extremities of Calabria Amidst his most Burthensom Employments he did not omit Writing several excellent Books of which we shall only mention those that relate to History His Chronicle dedicated to King Theodoric was compos'd while he was a Minister of State says Father St. Marthe in his Life of Cassiodorus It is very much Abridg'd containing only the Names of the Consuls and their principal Actions Vossius after Ioseph Scaliger calls this Chronicle Farrago Cassiodori Chronicon tantum farrago est Which Injury against so great a Man the learned Benedictin that was Author of his Life could not endure They find Fault with him says He for not being exact in Chronology in a work which was purely Chronological It is therefore that they fall upon this great Person with so much Gall and Fury They particularly accuse him of being deceiv'd in counting the Consuls from the Emperor Tiberius to Dioclesian but they might be answer'd that he was not deceiv'd only by depending on the Authority of Eusebius he reckon'd the Consulship of Junius Brutus an Olympiad sooner than he ought That the multitude of Consuls amounting to 25. made in one Day caus'd a great Confusion among Historians and that in a Word the Faults of Cassiodorus are for the most part to be imputed to his Copyers c. He has also written a History consisting of three Parts and drawn out of three Authors viz. Socrates Sozomenes and Theodoret all which he has reduc'd into XII Books All these three Historians he got his Friend Epiphanius the School-Divine to Translate and out of them he afterwards compos'd a Body of History selecting out of each what he found most Excellent and Proper for his Purpose He likewise writ a History of the Goths in XII Books of which we have reason to regret the Loss and whereof we have now remaining only what Iournandez Bishop of Ravenna has preserv'd and which is to be found among the Works of Cassiodorus King Athalaric own'd that this Work was of a profound Reach that its Author had therein rescu'd from Oblivion several ancient Gothish Monarchs which were quite forgot
through the greatest part of Asia and Europe with incredible Hazards and Fatigue He gives his History the Title of Bibliotheca Historica by reason that he had therein collected according to the Order of Time all that the other Historians as Berosus Theopompus Ephorus Philistes Callisthenes Timeus and several more great Authors had written before him but the Misfortune is that not only these famous Historians Writings are lost but all the greater part of Diodorus Siculus for of 40 Books whereof his History consisted there are only 15 now remaining What a prodigious Loss is this All the Gold of Potosi would not be sufficient to reward the Person that should recover these admirable Writings Vtinam says Vossius nobile adeo opus integrum nobis pervenisset Monsieur de la Mothe le Vayer upon this occasion has these Words I declare I would willingly go to the end of the World were I but certain of finding this great Treasure and I cannot but envy Posterity the bare probability of recovering those precious Works This is what Diodorus's History contain'd according to what he says himself of it in his Preface Our Six first Books says he comprehend all that hapned before the War of Troy together with many fabulous Matters here and there interspers'd Of these the three former relate the Antiquity of the Barbarians and the three latter contain those of the Greeks The eleven others which follow these include all that hapned remarkable in the World from the Destruction of Troy to the Death of Alexander the Great Lastly the other Twenty three extend to the Conquests of Julius Caesar over the Gauls when he made the Brittish Ocean the Northern Borders of the Roman Empire The Stile of Diodorus is that which we term Indifferent and Photius is of the same Opinion when he says that Diodorus's manner of Writing is very clear and not in the least affected That it is not too much after the Attick fashion nor too full of Old Words and that in a word it is very consistent with History Father Rapin says Diodorus Sicuâ—us is a great Man but that he is too much beholden to Philistes Timeus Callisthenes Theopompus and others Eusebius of Caesarea set a great value on the History of Diodorus He frequently Quotes it with great Praises or to say better he has borrow'd most of his Evangelical Preparation from it Pliny says of Diodorus that he is the first among the Greek Authors that laid aside telling of idle Stories Primus apud Graecos desiit Nugari Diodorus VI. Dionysius usually stil'd Halicarnassaeus because a Native of that City as Strabo in the XIV Book of his Geography observes He came to Rome a little while after Augustus had ended the Civil Wars where he lived for 22 Years during which time he collected all he thought necessary to assist him in his design of writing a History He owns that over and above the Memoirs which the most famous Romans then furnish'd him with he was not a little beholden to the Conversation he had with the meaner Citizens His History contain'd in all 22 Books to which he gave the Title of The Roman Antiquities but whereof we have now only the Eleven first remaining which end when the Consuls first began to Govern which happen'd in the Year after the Founding of Rome 312. The whole Work extended to the beginning of the Punick War in the Year of the Founding of Rome 488. Dionysius Halicarnassaeus himself made an Abridgment of his own History but which Epitome never reach'd down to us yet we should have no reason to regret the loss of the Abridgment were we but in possession of the Original The loss of this great Work is so much the greater in that this Author was reputed the most exact in his Chronology of all other Historians Scaliger observes That we have no Author remaining who kept good Order in the placing of his Years And what is more to be admir'd is that Dionysius of Halicarnassaeus altho' he was a Stranger at Rome yet has writ better of the Roman Antiquities than any of the Latin Historians Le Vayer cannot forgive this Author for his Credulity in believing all the frivolous Stories he relates which have not the least resemblance of truth in them It plainly appears says he that he was impos'd upon by all the Old Women of his time whose Chimney-corner Tales he reported for Miracles Few Historians can escape sometimes telling Rhodomontades which nevertheless have an Air of greatness in them which envigorates their Writings but this Author suffer'd himself to be so wholly carry'd away by them that he never car'd to distinguish between Probable and Improbable Thus he makes Clelia that illustrious Roman Maid who had been given in Hostage to King Porsenna to escape and to swim through the Tyber to Rome where she had only ask'd leave to Bath in it But Valerius Maximus mounts her on Horseback and makes her escape that way which is the more probable of the two for can it be believ'd that a timerous Girl who was apprehensive of the least danger would undertake to swim through a River when there was no occasion for it the Peace being then almost Concluded But yet it must be acknowledg'd that there is something Great Heroick and Wonderful in a Roman Lady's throwing her self into a River like a Mad body Monsieur Rapin says That the Exhortation Dionysius Halicarnassaeus puts into the mouth of Brutus to stir up the Roman People to revenge the Death of Lucretia and the Harangue which he makes for Valerius about the most proper form of Government are both too long and tedious That Photius extremely commends his Digression in his VII Book where he describes the Tyranny of Aristodemus That Dionysius Halicarnassaeus in his Roman Antiquities shews a great deal of Sense Knowledge and Reasoning Moreover that he is very Exact Diligent Judicious and much more sincere than Titus Livius Also that he is more to be valu'd yet at the bottom that he is a very Prolix Orator VII Plutarch was of Cheronea a City in Baeotia His Works shew us that he was a Philosopher Historian and Orator all at a time He first studied under Ammonius and afterwards Travell'd into Greece and Egypt to consult the Learned there then he return'd to Rome and was greatly esteem'd by the Emperor Trojan who honour'd him with the Dignity of Consul He has writ several Treatises but what we set most by is his Lives of the most illustrious Men both Greeks and Romans He has always met with great Commendation whereof Vossius gives an extraordinary Instance He says That Theodorus Gaza being one day ask'd If all Books were to be cast into the Sea which should be thrown last Gaza answer'd that it should be Plutarch This Gaza was a Person of great Merit and who retir'd into Italy much about the time that the City of Constantinople was taken by the Turks There Cardinal Bessariâ—n honour'd him with
we did not think it proper to insert the Account of them in this our System CHAP. XVIII Of the Italians Latins Romans and of the Fourth or Roman Monarchy OUR Reader must not expect in this short System of Vniversal History that we should give an accurate and particular Account of all the Roman Affairs since many of the Ancients such as Diodorus Siculus Dionysius Halicarnasseus Livy and others who have only given us an Account of part of them have filled whole Volumes with that Account And since our Countryman the ingenious industrious and indefatigable Mr. ECHARD has favoured the World with a large Book even of his Abridgment of the Roman History 'T is enough that we give only a Taste of the most eminent Transactions which contributed towards the making Rome so famous to future Ages that by this means the Reader may be the better prepared and the more excited to look into more Voluminous Tracts which treat of these Matters It must be likewise acknowledged that all the Account we have of Italy before Romulus is very Fabulous and Precarious and such as no Historian can rely upon However we shall give you a short Account of what passed in Italy before those Times thô we shall not vouch to the Truth of all that is contained therein nor do we desire to impose any thing upon the Reader but leave him to be a Free Thinker and his own Judge in the Case Having by way of Preface said thus much we shall divide this Chapter into V. Sections In the First we shall consider the Italians under the Government of the Ianigenae or Siculi In the Second we shall consider them under the Government of the Aborigines In the Third we shall consider them under the Seven Kings The Fourth Section shall give you an Account of the Consular State of Rome And the Fifth shall treat of the Fourth or Roman Monarchy Sect. I. The First State of Italy under the Janigenae or Siculi which lasted 557 Years 'T IS said that Gomer the Son of Iaphet first planted Colonies in Italy But we have no certain Account of this only that the first Inhabitants were called Ianigenae or Siculi It must not be expected that we should give an exact Chronology of these dark Times we shall therefore only give you a Catalogue of the Principal Men whether Kings or only Petty Governors is very uncertain who lived within this time Years of the World Years before Christ. 2044. 1. Aurunus It seems he built a Temple to Ianus 1906 2. Malotages 3. Sicanus the Husband of Ceres who taught the People Tillage 4. Several Tyrants 5. Osiris drove them out and was chosen King 6. Neptune 7. Lestrigo 8. Hercules Libycus 9. Tuscus 10. Alteus 11. Kittim or Atlas or Italus out of Spain ruled the Ianigenae 12. Iasius 13. Dardanus He killed Iasius and afterwards fled into Thrace 14. Tyrrhenus He came out of India and his Subjects after him were called Tyrrhenians We have no Account after him of any King or Governor for above 100 years together Sect. II. The Second State of Italy under XV. Kings called Aborigines which lasted 577 Years from Janus down to Romulus Years of the World Years before Christ. 2621. 1. JAnus the Son of Erectheus King of Athens came into Italy was received by the Aborigines and built Ianiculum He reigned 10 years 1329 2631. 2. Saturn expelled Crete by his Son Iupiter fled into Italy civiliz'd the People taught them Tillage coin'd Money c. He reigned 19 years 1319 2650. 3. Picus the Son of Saturn succeeded and reigned 41 years 1300 2691. 4. Faunus succeeded his Father and reigned 42 years 1259 In his time Evander and Carmenta his Mother came out of Arcadia and taught them Letters and Hercules living with Evander killed Cacus 2733. 5. Latinus reigned 36 years He had a Daughter named Lavinia whom Aeneas married 1217 2769. 6. Aeneas after the taking of Troy came into Italy where he built Lavinium killed Turnus King of the Rutuli married Lavinia was drowned and afterwards Deified He reigned 5 years 1181 2774. 7. Ascanius or Iulus the Son of Aeneas by Creusa succeeded his Father and reigned 38 years He resigned Lavinium to Lavinia and Sylvius her Son built Alba and left the Kingdom to Sylvius 1176 2812. 8. Sylvius the Son of Aeneas by Lavinia succeeded and reigned at Alba 29 years 1138 2841. 9. Eneas Sylvius succeeded his Father and reigned 30 years 1109 2871. 10. Latinus II. reigned 51 years From him the People were called Latines 1079 2922. 11. Alba Sylvius succeeded his Father and reigned 39 years 1028 2961. 12. Capetus I. called by Ovid Epitus succeeded and reigned 26 years 989 2987. 13. Capys succeeded and reign'd 28 years He built Capua 963 3015. 14. Capetus II. succeeded and reigned 12 years 935 3027. 15. Tyberinus succeeded and reigned 8 years He was drowned in the River Tyber which has its Name from him 923 3035. 16. Agrippa Sylvius succeeded and reigned 41 years 915 3076. 17. Alladius or Aremulus succeeded and reigned 19 years He imitated Thunder and was swallowed up with his Palace 874 3095. 18. Aventinus succeeded and reigned 37 years The Aventine Hill derived its Name from him 855 3132. 19. Procas succeeded and reigned 23 years When he died he left his Sons to rule by turns yearly 818 3155. 20. Amulius expelled his elder Brother Numitor and reigned 25 years He killed Numitor's Son Lausus made Rhea Numitor's Daughter a Vestal Virgin ravished her afterward in the likeness of Mars by whom he had two Sons Romulus and Remus killed her and exposed them 795 3180. 21. Numitor is restored by his Grandsons Romulus and Remus to the Throne and reigned 18 years 770 Thus have we given the Reader some glimmering sort of Light into the State of the Italian Affairs even in these dark Times We shall now proceed to what History gives us a clearer Insight into and by what follows we may perceive from what small Beginnings and by what Steps and Degrees the Romans rose to that Grandeur as to be at last the Masters of the greatest part of the then known World Sect. III. The Third State under VII Kings called the Regal State lasted 245 Years Years of the World Years before Christ. 3198. 1. ROmulus was 18 years of Age when he laid the Foundations of the City of Rome upon the River Tyber near the Place where he and his Brother Remus were brought up At first he took in only Mount Palatine on which he built about 1000 Houses but within a while the Inhabitants increased to such a Number that they were forced to take in six Hills more so that Rome from hence was called The City with 7 Heads At first there was only a Colony of 300 Horse and 3000 Foot but to increase the Number he set up an Asylum which was a Sanctuary to all Malefactors and Discontented Persons 752 Romulus upon founding the City killed his Brother Remus for some Affront he had
Years which we interpose betwixt the Creation of the World and the Birth of our Saviour is sufficient to correct and explain the Successions of the Patriarchs Judges and Kings and all the History of the People of God 2. The space of 4000 suffices also to set in order and connect all that Prophane History tells us apparently true about the Antiquities of the Chaldeans Egyptian and Chinese as I shall shew anon when I come to speak of each Monarchy in particular 3. The eminently learned Archbishop Vsher after a long and laborious Study acknowledges That the space of 4000 is the most agreeable to the History 〈◊〉 the Bible which he demonstrates in his excellent Work called Annales Veteris Novi Testament That Book has been so generally approved of in thâ— World that People have been glad to see at the enâ— of S. Vitre's Bible the fine Chronological Tables dâ—â—gested according to Vsher's Scheme They have been abridged since and put into French and afterwards into English at the end of the History of the Bible-wiâ—â— Figures and in what manner soever they have appeared they have found a very kind acceptance Furthermore the Bishop of Meaux has followed it in his learned Lessons upon History to the Dauphin of France People do not agree says he upon the precisâ— individual Year wherein our Saviour came into the World but all agree That his true Birth was some Years befoâ—â— our Vulgar Aera which however we shall follow with thâ— rest for Conveniency-sake Without disputing any moâ—â— about the Year of our Saviour's Birth it is enough for us to know that it happen'd about the 4000 th Year of the World Some place it a little higher others a little lower and others in this very Year a Diversity which proceeds as much from the uncertainty of the Years of the World as that of the Birth of our Saviour Discourse upon Universal History 4. This Number of 4000 Years is also easy to retain for all round even Numbers leave a clear Image and make a distinct and deep Impression in our Mind which is very necessary in Chronology where Memory has so much to do that we can never use too many Helps to support it Now this Epocha has all the Advantages that can be desired For if from the 4000th Year where we place the Birth of our Saviour that is that Point of History that ought to be most dear and important to us we run back 1000 Years higher we meet precisely with the Dedication of the Temple of Solomon in the Year of the World 3000. If we go on still a thousand Years wanting eight higher we will find the Birth of Abraham in the Year 2008. Finally about the Year of the World 2500. the Law is given to Moses And all those bright and remarkable Points of Sacred History are express'd by round even Numbers which extreamly ease and help the Memory 5. There was in the first Ages of the Church an ancient Tradition That the World was to last but 6000 Years which popular Opinion is said to be originally derived from Eliah's House But however 't is certain that this Tradition was grounded upon Rules of Consonance and Agreeableness The chief of which was That God had made the World in Six Days and rested the Seventh To this they added That according to the Words of the 89th Psalm v. 4. A thousand Years before the Lord are like one Day and therefore that there were 6000 Years appointed for the Labours of this Life after which time the Saints would enjoy a Sabbath with God that is rest for ever with him They allowed 2000 Years before the Law 2000 Years under the Law at the end of which the Messiah was to come and whose Reign was to last 2000 Years more Finally they said That if the World did not endure all that Time 't would be because the Sins of Men should grow to such a height that God could no longer bear with them Thus the 6000 Years of the World are the Six Days of the Week before God and the eternal Sabbath of the Saints in the Repose of Glory will be the Seventh Sex millibus annorum stabit mundus Duobus millibâ—â— inane Duobus millibus Lex Duobus millibus Messiaâ—â— Isti sunt sex dies Hebdomadae coram Deo Septimus diâ—â— Sabbathum aeternum est Mille anni ante occulos tuâ— tanquam dies Psal. 89. This ancient Tradition of thâ— Iews which the first Fathers of the Church have wiâ—â—lingly received places with us the coming of thâ— Messiah in the Year of the World 4000. 6. Those that are taken with the subtle Speculation of the Rabbi's will find something that will please theâ— in this Epocha of 4000 Years Among the Virtuoso's 〈◊〉 the Cabala one of the most mysterious ways of Interâ—preting the Scripture is that which they call Sephiroâ— which is properly an Explication of the Holy Text bâ— the Elements or Letters whereof every Word is comâ—posed Now as all the Hebrew Letters as well as thâ— Greek are Numeral all the Secret lies in considerinâ— the value of each Letter and finding out a mysteriouâ— Number in one or more Words and it cannot be deâ—nied but by this Method the Rabbi's have sometime hit upon very ingenious and subtle Explications Wâ— speak this without laying any Stress upon abundanâ—â— of minute and frivolous Inquiries wherewith all theâ—â— Books swarm Of all the Words upon which those Doctors have exercised their Brains in this sort of Analysis there none wherein they discover so many Mysteries as iâ— this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bereschith which begins the Book oâ— Genesis and serves for the Title according to the Custom of the Hebrews 'T would be impertinent in this place to relate all the Witticisms scattered up and down in the Books of the Cabalists about this Wordâ— I shall only mention a curious one which has a particuâ—lar relation to the Subject I treat of This Word Bereschith which signifies In Principiâ—â— In the Beginning not only contains the Promise God made of giving his Son since one may as well read Barschit Dabo filium I shall give the Son but it expresses also the Year of the World wherein the Eternal Father was to give his Son for the Salvation of Men. This is the Method they use to find out that Year 1. They take out of this Word all the Letters whose value exceeds 100. Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 200. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 300. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 400. 2. In the Name of every Letter of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they take again the Letters worth more than 100. Thus in the Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beth is found the Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that stands for 400. In 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resch there is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worth 200. and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worth