subject of raillery, calling others to join in a laugh at the expense of his father. Japhet and Shem, the two elder sons of Noah, were ashamed of Ham's behaviour, and covered the father with a garment. This family event, which ought to have been hushed, was through the folly of Ham immediately known, and became the subject of conversation. The next morning Noah, having learned what had taken place, again collected the principal persons, and addressed them nearly in the following terms, as we may collect from the minutes, preserved in our own bible, and in the sacred books of India, compared with the circumstances, in which the speech was made. "You have all heard of my situa❝tion yesterday. It is true, that I then set an evil example ❝ before of which I am much ashamed. I have now you, grown old, and have been in early life exposed to much fatigue and hardship, which was protracted to an unusual "degree by the flood, that came upon the world, when I ❝ was past the meridian of life. My constitution begins to "give way, and I find, that I cannot bear that degree of so"ciability, which was agreeable to me only a few years ago. "I therefore earnestly recommend to you, who have more "time to spend in the world, than I have, to practise the "strictest temperance in all things. But evil, as I acknowl"edge my own example to have been in this instance, I “should be far less apprehensive of the ill consequences of "it on the community, were it not for the indiscretion, or ❝rather indecency of my youngest son.

"You all know, that since we have settled in this place, "though the general command has been vested in me, yet ❝each of you has been the prince of his own posterity, and "has decided in the first instance all questions between them. Ham has in this, as in all other respects, been treated as "kindly, as any of you. But, though he has foolishly en"deavored to weaken my influence, and to turn upon me “the ridicule of my descendents, I mean to set him a better 66 example, than to endeavor to diminish him in the esteem "of his family. He shall still retain the command over them.

"You are now become numerous, and the cases, coming "before me, continually increase, while my declining years "lessen my capacity to decide them. A new arrangement "is therefore become necessary, which shall at the same time "reward the virtue of my two eldest sons, and provide for "the regular administration of justice in future.

"Ham shall retain his command in the same manner, as "heretofore; but, as the appeals have hitherto been made to "me, they shall now lie to the head of that family, in whose "limits the parties shall reside. I allot not land to him. "He shall be tributary to his brethren; and the same base" ness of mind, which has been discovered by him, shall "cleave to his descendents, who shall be the vilest of ser "vants to the posterity of the other two. As he has not an "accidental intoxication to palliate his offence, it must mark "the habitual depravity of his mind.

"I assign to Shem in full sovereignty all those countries, lying south of the ridge of mountains, which divides this "whole land from east to west. In the countries east of "this place it is called Himalay, and the waters descend "from it to the north and to the south. Gihon and Pison, "inclosing the island of Bharata,* by that way seek the ocean. "Our own mountain, Ararat, sheds its waters into the chan"nels of the Euphrates and Hiddekel. Westward it contin<< ues its course to the great river, Etolé, which is now dilat❝ed into a vast inland sea,† and at the extremities joins by

narrow straights the great oceans of the east and west. On "the southern side of this new sea the chain of mountains appears in the southwestern peninsula of the world, hereto"fore inhabited by the Tamasovantas, and the water from its "northern side falls into the sea, and from the south into "the river, Tamasi. All the countries south of this ridge belong to Shem. Those of the posterity of Ham, living in "that space, shall be the servants of Shem and his descend

* Hither India at that time insulated. Its ancient name is Bharata, derived from Behrut, supposed to be a son of Adam.

+ Mediterranean.

Niger. Both names denote blackness.

*ents. And may the ever blessed God be the God of Shem, "and delight to do him good.

"Japhet, my first born, shall have all on the north side of "the line, including the northern coast of the southwestern pen"insula as far, as the mountains* on the south side of the new "sea. But, though I have given Japhet such an ample territory, “ yet in the fulness of time his posterity, under various pre"tences, will become powerful even in the countries of Shem; "for God will enlarge his bounds, and the posterity of Ham "shall serve him.

"I reserve to myself the city and territory of Nacsivan, "easterly quite down to the great lake, intending hereafter "to bestow it upon Japhet.

"And now, my children, be not impatient, while I contrast for a few minutes your situation with that of my youth"ful days, that you may know how to prize the blessings, you enjoy. Presently after the banishment of Cain to the "eastern shore of Eden his jealousy induced him to fortify "his town. Hardly any intercourse was had between him " and the rest of Adam's family, he being in continued fear, "that some of Abel's posterity would retort upon him the "treachery, he practised on his brother. He lived however " to a considerable age, being, if I rightly recollect, six hun"dred and fifty three years old, when he died. He saw "his descendents to the seventh generation. His posterity "in the sixth degree introduced a number of useful inven"tions. Being at first by the policy of Cain confined to for"tified towns, and cultivating the earth for a subsistence, "they employed themselves more in improving the arts of "comfortable living, than the rest of mankind. A few years

"before the death of Cain his fifth decendent, Lamech, in"troduced polygamy. By his two wives he had three sons " and one daughter. Each of them was distinguished by in"troducing some change in the circumstances of mankind. "Jabel invented musical instruments. Tubal Cain discover"ed the art of extracting metals from the ore. Their sister,

* Mount Atlas.

"Naamah, introduced spinning and weaving, and the third

son, Jabel, disdaining the life of an agriculturist, became ar ἐσ herdsman, dwelling in tents, and removing from place to "place, as he could find pasture without the labor of culti "vation. The improvements in art were soon copied by "Adam's other children. When the good old man learned, “that his exiled family had made these discoveries, he remark"ed, that he was glad Cain had now done something by his "posterity to repair the damage, wrought by the murder of "Abel. The world soon began to wear a new face. The

industry, attending on commerce, began to produce its "effect in comfortable houses, both of wood and stone, << wrought by iron tools. A plow, shod with iron, was used "to turn the soil, instead of those wretched implements of "stone and wood, that had been in use hitherto. The pos

terity of Abel, Seth, and the rest of Adam's sons, began to "enjoy a more easy kind of life, than they had done before. "Provisions were multiplied by a better culture, and, be"sides a sufficiency for the support of artists, a surplus was ❝left to be expended in feasting.

“The bulk of mankind however looked with horror upon "Cain's situation, being obliged to shut himself up in forti"fied places, and, when advanced in life, so jealous even of " his own offspring, as to be perpetually surrounded by a "band of mercenaries. While this was the situation of the "east, the other parts of the world were living in open towns,

going where they pleased, and having no apprehension of "danger, indulging in all those conveniences, which the new "arts enabled them to attain. Jabel had as great a relish "for these enjoyments, as other men. Like other savages, "he was too indolent to pursue any regular course of industry, by "which he might lawfully obtain good apparel or ornaments, "and too high spirited to confine himself to a town, as the "rest of his family did, he chose the shorter way of obtaining a supply by force. He was under no restraint from "moral instruction, and no one was in a state to impress "him with fear. From the members of his own family he

દ

could indeed obtain but little plunder for they kept within their fortresses, which he was not able to force. He "therefore looked at the posterity of Abel and Seth, who, "living in peace and friendly intercourse, had no occasion. "for walling their towns, and were under no alarm. With "the short sighted policy of a savage, Jabel invaded the country, plundered the towns, enslaved the inhabitants, and "drove off their flocks. Such rude behaviour spread an immediate alarm through all the Adamites. The great body "of them had not been used to any of the rougher employ"ments, fitted to call forth their energies, or to exercise "their valor. Some of them however had in the course of "the four first centuries shown both courage and strength "in defending their flocks against wild beasts. A consider"able number were also drawn from the frontiers, where "they had been practised in the same kind of exercise. "their force was great, compared with that of Jabel, they "undertook to relieve the prisoners, and recover the plunder. "He had retreated among his relations, and with them he "disposed of the persons, he had taken, and received in re

As

turn such things, as their manufactories afforded. Vex"ed at their disappointment in finding their enemy protect"ed in a country, professing only to be on the defensive, the "Adamites surprised one of the cities, making prisoners of "the inhabitants, and securing the plunder, they burnt the

town. This was about the year from the creation eight "hundred and fifty. From that time to the flood, during a "a long period of eight hundred years, cruel and bloody wars 66 were carried on, with short intervals of peace, between the "two families. Treachery and surprise always attended the "steps of Jabel, who was considered, as the most skilful par"tizan of his time. Intrepid courage was found among the "Adamites, who always had the advantage, when they could "bring their enemy to battle. They also met with con"siderable success in the fortified country of Cain, but which " had then come under the command of his son, Enoch. "is true, that during the life of Adam the ravages were not Vol. II. No. 3.

Сс

It