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ing of fuch ancient tranfaftions hath not only been neglected by the other states of Greece, but even among the Athenians themselves alfo, who pretend to be aborigines, and to have applied themfelves to learning, there are no fuch records extant; nay, they fay themselves, that the laws of Draco concerning murders, which are now extant in writing, are the moft ancient of their public records; which Draco yet lived but a little before the tyrant Pififtratus.* For as to the Arcadians, who make fuch boafts of their antiquity, what need I fpeak of them in particular, fince it was ftill later before they got their letters, and learned them, and that with difficulty allo?

5. There must therefore naturally arife great differences among writers, when they had no original records to lay for their foundation, which might at once inform thole who had an inclination to learn, and contradi&t thofe that would tell lies. However, we are to fuppofe a fecond occafion befides the former of these contradictions; it is this: That thofe who were the most zealous to write hiftory were not folicitous for the discovery of truth,+ although it was very eafy for them always to make fuch a profeffion; but their bufinefs was to demonftrate that they could write well, and make an impreffion upon mankind thereby; and in what manner of writing they thought they were able to exceed others, to that did they apply themfelves. Some of them betook themselves to the writing of fabulous narrations; fome of them endeavoured to pleate the cities or their kings, by writing in their commendation; others of them fell to finding faults with transac tions or with the writers of fuch tranfactions, and thought to make a great figure by fo doing. And indeed thefe do what is of all things the most contrary to true hiftory; for it is the great character of true hiftory, that all concerned therein both speak and write the fame things; while thele men, by writing ditferently about the fame things, think they fhall be believed to write with the greateft regard to truth. We therefore [who are Jews muft yield to the Grecian writers as to language

* About the days of Cyrus and Daniel.

+ It is here well worth our observation, what the reasons are that fuch ancient authors as Herodotus, Jofephus and others, have been read to fo little purpose by many learned critics; viz. that their main aim has not been chonology or hiftory, but philology, to know words, and not things, they not much entering oftentimes into the real contents of their authors, and judging which were the most accurate discoverers of truth, and moft to be depended on in their several hiftories, but rather inquiring who wrote the finest ftyle, and had the greatest elegance in their expressions; which are things of fmall confequence in comparison of the other. Thus you will fometimes find great debates among the learned, whether Herodo tus or Thucydides were the finest hiftorians in the Ionic and Attic ways of writ ing; which fignify little, as to the real value of each of their histories; while it would be of much moment to let the reader know, that as the confequence of Herodotus's hiftory, which begins fo much earlier, and reaches fo much wider than that of Thucydides, is therefore vaftly greater; fo is the most part of Thucydides, which belongs to his own umes, and fell under his own obfervation, much the

most certain.

and eloquence of compofition; but then we fhall give them no fuch preference as to the verity of ancient hiftory, and leaft of all as to that part which concerns the affairs of our own feveral countries.

6. As to the care of writing down the records from the earlieft antiquity among the Egyptians and Babylonians; that the priests were intrufted therewith, and employed a philofophical concern about it; that they were the Chaldean priests that did fo among the Babylonians, and that the Phenicians, who were mingled among the Greeks, did efpecially make ufe of their letters, both for the common affairs of life, and for the delivering down the hiftory of common tranfactions, I think I may omit any proof, because all men allow it so to be. But now as to our forefathers, that they took no less care about writing fuch records (for I will not fay they took greater care than the others I fpoke of) and that they committed that matter to their high-priefts and to their prophets, and that these records have been written all along down to our own times with the utmost accuracy; nay, it it be not too bold for me to fay it, our hiftory will be fo written hereafter, I shall endeavour briefly to inform you.

7. For our forefathers did not only appoint the best of these priests, and thofe that attended upon the divine worship, for that defign from the beginning, but made provifion that the flock of the priests fhould continue unmixed and pure; for he who is partaker of the priesthood must propagate of a wife of the fame nation, without having any regard to money, or any other dignities; but he is to make a fcrutiny, and take his wife's genealogy from the ancient tables,* and procure many witnefles to it. And this is our practice not only in Judea, but wherefoever any body of men of our nation do live; and even there an exact catalogue of our prieft's marriages are kept; I mean at Egypt and Babylon, or in any other place of the rest of the habitable earth, whitherfoever our priefts are fcattered; for they fend to Jerufalem the ancient names of their parents in writing, as well as thofe of their remoter anceftors, and fignify who are the witneffes allo. But if any war falls out, fuch as have fallen out a great many of them already, when Antiochus Epiphanes made an invafion upon our country, as alfo when Pompey the Great and Quintilius Varus did fo alfo, and principally in the wars that have happened in our own times; thofe priefts that furvive them compofe new tables of genealogy out of the old records, and examine the circumftances of the women that remain; for ftill they do not admit of thofe that have been captives, as fufpetting that they had converfation with fome foreigners. But what is the

Of this accuracy of the Jews before, and in our Saviour's time, in carefully preferving their genealogies all along, particularly thofe of the priests, fee Jofephus's Life, 1. Vol. II. This accuracy feems to have ended at the deftruction of Jerufalem by Titus, or however at that by Adrian.

ing of fuch ancient tranfations hath not only been neglected by the other states of Greece, but even among the Athenians themselves alfo, who pretend to be aborigines, and to have applied themfelves to learning, there are no fuch records extant; nay, they fay themfelves, that the laws of Draco concerning murders, which are now extant in writing, are the most ancient of their public records; which Draco yet lived but a little before the tyrant Pififtratus.* For as to the Arcadians, who make fuch boafts of their antiquity, what need I speak of them in particular, fince it was ftill later before they got their letters, and learned them, and that with difficulty allo?

5. There must therefore naturally arife great differences_among writers, when they had no original records to lay for their foundation, which might at once inform thole who had an inclination to learn, and contradict those that would tell lies. However, we are to fuppofe a fecond occafion befides the former of these contradictions; it is this: That those who were the most zealous to write history were not folicitous for the discovery of truth,† although it was very eafy for them always to make fuch a profeffion; but their business was to demonftrate that they could write well, and make an impreffion upon mankind thereby; and in what manner of writing they thought they were able to exceed others, to that did they apply themselves. Some of them betook themselves to the writing of fabulous narrations; fome of them endeavoured to pleate the cities or their kings, by writing in their commendation; others of them fell to finding faults with tranfactions or with the writers of fuch tranfactions, and thought to make a great figure by fo doing. And indeed thefe do what is of all things the moft contrary to true hiftory; for it is the great character of true hiftory, that all concerned therein both (peak and write the fame things; while thele men, by writing ditferently about the fame things, think they fhall be believed to write with the greateft regard to truth. We therefore [who are Jews muft yield to the Grecian writers as to language

About the days of Cyrus and Daniel.

+ It is here well worth our obfervation, what the reasons are that fuch ancient authors as Herodotus, Jofephus and others, have been read to so little purpose by many learned critics; viz. that their main aim has not been chonology or history, but philology, to know words, and not things, they not much entering oftentimes into the real contents of their authors, and judging which were the most accurate discoverers of truth, and moft to be depended on in their feveral histories, but rather inquiring who wrote the fineft ftyle, and had the greatest elegance in their expressions; which are things of small confequence in comparison of the other. Thus you will fometimes find great debates among the learned, whether Herodotus or Thucydides were the finest hiftorians in the Ionic and Attic ways of writ ing; which fignify little, as to the real value of each of their historics; while it would be of much moment to let the reader know, that as the confequence of Herodotus's hiftory, which begins fo much earlier, and reaches fo much wider than that of Thucydides, is therefore vaftly greater; fo is the most part of Thucydides, which belongs to his own times, and fell under his own obfervation, much the moft certain.

and eloquence of compofition; but then we shall give them. no fuch preference as to the verity of ancient hiftory, and leaft of all as to that part which concerns the affairs of our own feveral countries.

6. As to the care of writing down the records from the earJieft antiquity among the Egyptians and Babylonians; that the priests were intrufted therewith, and employed a philofophical concern about it; that they were the Chaldean priests that did fo among the Babylonians, and that the Phenicians, who were mingled among the Greeks, did efpecially make ufe of their letters, both for the common affairs of life, and for the delivering down the hiftory of common tranfactions, I think I may omit any proof, because all men allow it fo to be. But now as to our forefathers, that they took no less care about writing fuch records (for I will not fay they took greater care than the others I fpoke of) and that they committed that matter to their high-priefts and to their prophets, and that thefe records have been written all along down to our own times with the utmoft accuracy; nay, it it be not too bold for me to say it, our hiftory will be fo written hereafter, I shall endeavour briefly to inform you.

7. For our forefathers did not only appoint the best of these priefts, and thofe that attended upon the divine worship, for that defign from the beginning, but made provision that the flock of the priests fhould continue unmixed and pure; for he who is partaker of the priesthood muft propagate of a wife of the fame nation, without having any regard to money, or any other dignities; but he is to make a fcrutiny, and take his wife's genealogy from the ancient tables,* and procure many witnefles to it. And this is our practice not only in Judea, but wherefoever any body of men of our nation do live; and even there an exact catalogue of our priest's marriages are kept; I mean at Egypt and Babylon, or in any other place of the reft of the habitable earth, whitherfoever our priests are fcattered; for they fend to Jerufalem the ancient names of their parents in writing, as well as thofe of their remoter anceftors, and fignify who are the witneffes alfo. But if any war falls out, fuch as have fallen out a great many of them already, when Antiochus Epiphanes made an invafion upon our country, as alfo when Pompey the Great and Quintilius Varus did fo alfo, and principally in the wars that have happened in our own times; thofe priests that furvive them compole new tables of genealogy out of the old records, and examine the circumftances of the women that remain; for ftill they do not admit of thofe that have been captives, as fufpetting that they had conversation with some foreigners. But what is the

Of this accuracy of the Jews before, and in our Saviour's time, in carefully preferving their genealogies all along, particularly those of the priests, fee Jofephus's Life, & 1. Vol. II. This accuracy feems to have ended at the deftruction of Jerufalem by Titus, or however at that by Adrian.

ing of fuch ancient tranfactions hath not only been neglected by the other states of Greece, but even among the Athenians themselves alfo, who pretend to be aborigines, and to have applied themfelves to learning, there are no fuch records extant; nay, they fay themfelves, that the laws of Draco concerning murders, which are now extant in writing, are the most ancient of their public records; which Draco yet lived but a little before the tyrant Pififtratus.* For as to the Arcadians, who make fuch boafts of their antiquity, what need I fpeak of them in particular, fince it was ftill later before they got their letters, and learned them, and that with difficulty allo?

5. There must therefore naturally arife great differences among writers, when they had no original records to lay for their foundation, which might at once inform thole who had an inclination to learn, and contradict thofe that would tell lies. However, we are to fuppofe a fecond occafion befides the former of these contradictions; it is this: That those who were the most zealous to write hiftory were not folicitous for the discovery of truth,+ although it was very eafy for them always to make fuch a profeffion; but their bufinefs was to demonftrate that they could write well, and make an impreffion upon mankind thereby; and in what manner of writing they thought they were able to exceed others, to that did they apply themselves. Some of them betook themselves to the writing of fabulous narrations; fome of them endeavoured to pleate the cities or their kings, by writing in their commendation; others of them fell to finding faults with tranfactions or with the writers of fuch tranfactions, and thought to make a great figure by fo doing. And indeed thefe do what is of all things the most contrary to true hiftory; for it is the great character of true hiftory, that all concerned therein both (peak and write the fame things; while thele men, by writing ditferently about the fame things, think they fhall be believed to write with the greateft regard to truth. We therefore [who are Jews muft yield to the Grecian writers as to language

* About the days of Cyrus and Daniel.

It is here well worth our obfervation, what the reafons are that fuch ancient authors as Herodotus, Jofephus and others, have been read to fo little purpose by many learned critics; viz. that their main aim has not been chonology or history, but philology, to know words, and not things, they not much entering oftentimes into the real contents of their authors, and judging which were the most accurate discoverers of truth, and moft to be depended on in their feveral hiftories, but rather inquiring who wrote the fineft ftyle, and had the greatest elegance in their expressions; which are things of fmall confequence in comparison of the other. Thus you will fometimes find great debates among the learned, whether Herodotus or Thucydides were the finest hiftorians in the Ionic and Attic ways of writing; which fignify little, as to the real value of each of their hiftories; while it would be of much moment to let the reader know, that as the consequence of Herodotus's hiftory, which begins fo much earlier, and reaches fo much wider than that of Thucydides, is therefore vaftly greater; fo is the most part of Thucydides, which belongs to his own times, and fell under his own obfervation, much the most certain.

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