of the inhabitants, fuch was their excellent quality, and fo great their plenty. and indeed working men lived then almoft upon nothing elfe, as appears from those who were employ'd in building the pyramids.

BESIDES these rural riches, the Nile from its fish, and the fatnefs it gave to the foil for the feeding of cattle, furnished the tables of the Egyptians with the most exquifite fish of every kind, and the most fucculent flesh. This it was which made the Ifraelites fo deeply regret the lofs of Egypt, when they found themselves in the dreary defart. Who, fay they in a plaintive, and at the fame time feditious Num. 11. tone, fhall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fifh which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers and melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick. Exod. 16. We fat by the flesh-pots, and we did eat bread to the full.

4, 5.

3.

BUT the great and matchlefs wealth of Egypt arofe from its corn, which, even in an almoft univerfal famine, enabled it to fupport all the neighbouring nations, as it particularly did under Jofeph's administration. In later ages it was the resource and most fure granary of Rome and Conftantinople. It is a well known ftory, how a calumny raised against St. Athanafius, viz. of his having menaced Conftantinople, that for the future no more corn fhould be imported to it from Alexandria; incens'd the Emperor Conftantine against that holy Bishop, because he knew that his capital city could not fubfift without the corn which was brought to it from Egypt. The fame reason induc'd all the Emperors of Rome to take fo great a care of Egypt, which they confider'd as the nurfing mother of the world's metropolis.

NEVERTHELESS, the fame river which enabled this province to fubfift the two most populous cities in the world, fometimes reduced even Egypt it felf to the most terrible famine: And it is aftonishing

that

that Jofeph's wife forefight, which in fruitful years had made a provifion for feafons of fterility fhould not have hinted to these fo much boasted politicians, a like care against the changes and inconftancy of the Nile. Pliny, in his panegyrick upon Trajan, paints with wonderful ftrength the extremity to which that country was reduc'd by a famine, under that prince's reign, and his generous relief of it. The reader will not be difpleas'd to read here an extract of it, in which a greater regard will be had to Pliny's thoughts, than to his expreffions.

THE Egyptians, fays Pliny, which gloried that h they needed neither rain nor fun to produce their corn, and who believ'd they might confidently conteft the prize of plenty, with the moft fruitful countries of the world, we condemned to an unexpected drought, and a fatal fterility; from the greatest part of their territories being deferted and left unwater'd by the Nile, whofe inundation is the fource and fure ftandard of their abundance. They then* implor'd that affistance from their prince, which they us❜d to expect only from their river. The delay of their relief, was no longer, than that which employed a courier to bring the melancholy news to Rome; and one would have imagin'd, that this misfortune had befallen them only to distinguish with greater luftre, the generofity and goodness of Cæfar †. It was an ancient and general opinion, that our city could not fubfift without provifions drawn from Egypt. This vain and proud nation boasted, that tho' it was conquer'd, it ne

Ezek.

c. 29.

3, 9.

vertheless fed its conquerors; that, by means of its river, either abundance or scarcity were entirely in its difpofal. But we now have returned the Nile his own harvests, and given him back the provisions he fent us. Let the Egyptians be then convinc'd by their own experience, that they are not neceffary to us, and are only our vaffals. Let them know that their ships do not fo much bring us the provifion we ftand in need of, as the tribute which they owe us. And let them never forget, that we can do without them, but that they can never do without us. This moft fruitful province had been ruin'd, had it not wore the Roman chains. The Egyptians in their fovereign, have found a deliverer, and a father. Aftonifh'd at the fight of their granaries, fill'd without any labour of their own, they were at a lofs to know to whom they owed this foreign and gratuitous plenty.

The famine of a people at such distance from us, and which was fo fpeedily ftopped, ferved only to let them feel the advantage of living under our empire. The Nile may in other times have diffufed more plenty on Egypt, but never more glory upon us. May heaven, content with this proof of the people's patience, and the prince's generofity, reftore for ever back to Egypt its ancient fertility.

PLINY's reproach to the Egyptians, for their vain and foolish pride, with regard to the inundations of the Nile, points out one of their most peculiar characteristicks, and recalls to my mind a fine paffage of Ezekiel, where God thus fpeaks to Pharaoh, one of their kings, Behold, I am against thee, Pharaob king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which bath faid, my river is my own, and I have made it for my felf God perceived an infupportable pride in the heart of this prince: A fenfe of fecurity and confidence in the inundations of the

Nilus Ægypto quidem fæpe, fed gloriæ noftræ nunquam largior flu xit.

Nile, independent entirely on the influences of heaven; as tho' the happy effects of this inundation had been owing to nothing but his own care and labour, or those of his predeceffors: The river is mine, and I have made it.

BEFORE I Conclude this fecond part of the, man. ners of the Egyptians, I think it incumbent on me, to befpeak the attention of my readers to different paffages fcatter'd in, the hiftory of Abraham, Jacob, Jofeph, Mofes, which confirm and illuftratę part of what we meet with in prophane authors upon this fubject. They will there observe the perfect polity which reign'd in Egypt, both in the court and the reft of the kingdom; the vigilance of the prince, who was informed of all tranfactions, had a regular council, a chofen number of minifters, armies ever well maintain'd and difciplin'd, and of every order of foldiery, horse, foot, armed chariots; intendants in all the provinces; overfeers or guardians of the publick granaries; wife and exact difpenfers of the corn lodg'd in them; a court compos'd of great officers of the crown, a captain of his guards, a cupbearer, a master of his pantry; in a word, all things that compose a prince's houfhold, and conftitute a magnificent court. But above all these the readers Gen. 12. will admire the fear in which the threatnings of God 10, 26. were held, the inspector of all actions, and the judge of kings themselves; and the horror the Egyptians had for adultery, which was acknowledged to be, a crime of fo heinous a nature, that it alone was capable of bringing deftruction on a nation.

68

PART the THIR D.

THE

HISTORY

OF THE

KINGS of EGYPT.

N

O part of antient history is more obfcure or uncertain, than that of the first kings of Egypt. This proud nation, fondly conceited of its antiquity and nobility, thought it auguft to lose itself in an abyfs of infinite ages, as tho' it seem'd to carry its Diod. 1. 1. pretenfions backward to eternity. According to its own hiftorians, firft, gods, and afterwards demigods or heroes, govern'd it fucceffively, through a series of more than twenty thousand years. But the abfurdity of this vain and fabulous claim, is eafily difcovered.

P. 41.

Ezek.

c. 29.

3, 9.

To gods and demi-gods, men fucceeded as rulers or kings in Egypt, of whom Manethon has left is thirty dynafties or principalities. This Mane

on was an Egyptian high-prieft, and keeper of the Pored archives of Egypt, and had been instructed in the Grecian learning: he wrote a history of Egypt, which he pretended to have extracted from the writings of Mercurius and other ancient memoirs, preLerved in the archives of the Egyptian temples. He