tians, the Cochians, the Philistines, the Lybians, the Canaanites, Sidonians, and the Phoenicians.

From the sons of Japheth were descended the Cimbri, the Gauls, the Germans, the Scythians, the Tartars, the Medes, the Ionians, the Iberians, the Muscovites, and the Thracians. From their sons were derived other particular tribes, whose names need not here be rehearsed.

6. During 101 years after the flood, i. e. till the year 2247 B. C. all the descendants of Noah spoke but one language The occasion of a diversity of tongues in the world, and of the origin of distinct communities, was the following.

At the time above referred to, the human family, in journeying from the vicinity of mount Ararat, arrived at length at a plain in the land of Shinar. On this spot they began to erect a city and a tower, whose top might aspire to heaven, for the purpose of avoiding the dispersion of their households, and of acquiring a name.

Such a purpose, and perhaps others still worse, being of fensive to the Deity, he confounded their language, and thus the workmen, not being able to understand one another, desisted from their undertaking. The consequence was the dispersion of mankind into different nations.

The name given to the city was Babel, which signifies

confusion.

§ In erecting the tower they made use of brick instead of stone, and the want of mortar was supplied by slime, or bitumen, of which the region afforded an abundance. The identical materials of this fabric have been supposed, at different times, to have been discovered; but this is uncertain.

7. Mankind having become separated into different communities or nations, their history must thenceforth be given accordingly. We shall commence with the Assyrian nation, and briefly trace the outline of its history, as also the history of other sovereignties that existed during this period.

ASSYRIA.

8. ASSYRIA, considered as afterwards including Babylonia, is the oldest of nations, and founded on the spot where the tower of Babel was erected. We may date the commencement of this empire not many years after the dispersion took place, or about 2229 years B. C. Its founder was Ashur, the son of Shem, who built Nineveh, its capital. It continued alone about 120 years, and then being united to Babylonia, became a mighty empire.

§ In the order of time, there were two empires of the Assyrians. The first is here spoken of, which lasted till the year 767 B. C.

It is supposed by some that Babylon, which was built by Nimrod, the grandson of Ham, the Belus of profane history, was, from the beginning, the capital of Assyria. But we rather follow those authorities that suppose Babylonia and Assyria to have been originally two distinct kingdoms, both founded about the same time, the former by Nimrod, the latter by Ashur.

The Babylonians became, at length, tributary; and Ninus, king of Assyria, having deposed Nabonius, united the two states into one. After his death, Semiramis, his widow, transferred the seat of governnent from Nineveh to Babylon.

9. Under Semiramis the Assyrian empire was greatly en-larged. She assumed the government during the nonage of Ninias, son of her husband, Ninus. She signalized her name by enlarging and embellishing Babylon, and by her numerous military exploits.

§ It is said, that, in completing Babylon, she employed the labours of 2,000,000 men. This woman, after having enlarged her dominions, conquered a great part of Ethiopia, and invaded India, though without success, was murdered, as is supposed, at the instigation of Ninias.

10. Ninias, her successor, was a very insignificant sove reign; and the history of his successors, for more than 30 ge. nerations, is unknown. They must have been an indolent and effeminate race.

§ Ninias, unlike his predecessors, being wholly intent on his plea sures, kept himself secluded in his palace, and seldom appeared before his people. But, to retain them in their duty, he kept a certain number of regular troops, whom he renewed every year, commanded by an officer on whose fidelity he could depend. This method he seems to have adopted, that the officers might have no time to gain the affections of the soldiers, or to form conspiracies against him.

Not only are his successors unknown, as to their conduct or exploits, but even their names, till the time of Sardanapalus, the last of them, (who will be noticed in the proper place,) are a matter of controversy among historians.

During this unrecorded period of the Assyrian history, Sesostris, King of Egypt, if his name may be here anticipated, who carried on his conquests into the East, must have overrun Assyria; but, as his power was not supported by his successors, the Assyrians must have soon regained their former state.

CHINA

11. CHINA, it is not to be doubted, is among the most ancient empires of the world. Its records extend to more than 2200 vears B. C. According to the most current op

nion, it was founded by one of the colonies formed at the dispersion of Noah's posterity, under the conduct of Yao, who took for his colleague Chun, afterwards his successor.

Other accounts state Fo-hi to have been the founder of this monarchy, and many writers consider Fo-hi to have been Noah himself. The Chinese pretend a much higher antiquity than is here assigned to them, but their pretensions are merely the effect of national vanity.

§ The sovereigns of China, from Chun to the present time, are divided into 22 dynasties, the first of which, that of Hia, began 2207 years B. C. Four, and a part of the fifth, of these dynasties, preceded the Christian era.

The first dynasty was founded by Yu, surnamed Ta, or the Great, whom Chun adopted in preference to his own children. It lasted 441 years, under 17 emperors.

Yu-ta was a great proficient in agriculture, astronomy, and the kindred studies. On the subject of the first, he wrote an excellent treatise. He died much regretted, after a reign of 17 years.

Kya, the last monarch of this dynasty, was greatly detested by his subjects. He was driven from the throne, and died after an ignominious exile of three years.

EGYPT.

12. EGYPT claims, and certainly possesses, a high antiquity. Its early annals, however, are so obscure, that scarcely any thing can be ascertained respecting its first kings, after Menes.*

Menes is generally acknowledged as the founder of the Egyptian empire, and is supposed to be the same as Misraim, mentioned in scripture among Ham's sons, 2188 years B. C. His children divided the land; whence arose four kingdoms, which subsisted separately during several centuries, and were successively united under one yoke.

These four kingdoms are known by the names of Thebes, Thin, Memphis, and Tanais. The people had attained to considerable civilization, but a period of barbarism soon after

Some late writers, adopting the Samaritan text of the Bible, which places the deluge several hundred years beyond the common era, compute the reign of Menes at about 2800 years B. C. With this they cause the other events of the early period of the world to correspond. We mention this circumstance, because the computation which is thus made may possibly be correct, and it seems to derive some little confirmation from the history of the Egyptians, both as touched upon in the Bible, and as gathered from their hieroglyphic recorda. Still, however, we incline to the common accounts.

wards succeeded, supposed about 2084 years B. C., under the shepherd kings,* which lasted more than two centuries.

In the time of Menes, the greatest part of the country was a mɔrass, till he diverted the course of the Nile, and founded the city ot Memphis within the ancient bed of that river. He instructed the Egyptians in theology, introduced domestic luxury, and instituted magnificent feasts.

It was under Timaus, one of his successors, that the government was subverted, and the country subdued by a multitude of ignoble persons, who came from the East, and treated in the most inhuman manner the ancient inhabitants.

These invaders were called Hycsos, or shepherd kings, and, according to Manetho, held all Lower Egypt 259 years.

In the kingdom of Thebes, a king by the name of Athothes I. is said to have reigned at a very early period. He was the same as was worshipped under the name of Mercury. After h's death his two sons divided the kingdom; but nothing is known of their successors for a long period. In the kingdom of Thin, Venephes is said to have built some pyramids, and to have had his reign distinguished by a great famine, as that also of one of his successors was distinguished by a dreadful plague.

In the kingdom of Memphis, Tosorthros reigned, not long after Menes. From the knowledge he had of physic, he is styled Esculapius. He is said to have invented the arts of building and writing.

Of the last kingdom of Egypt, during this period, there seem to be no records, or none worth naming. Indeed, in regard to those of the others that have come down to us, there is extreme uncertainty.

Distinguished characters in Period II.

1. Noah, from whom the earth was a second time peopled. 2. Ashur, who built Nineveh.

3. Nimrod, a warrior, and supposed to be the first king. 4. Menes, first king of Egypt, and civilizer of the East. 5. Ninus, an Assyrian monarch, who conquered a large portion of Asia.

6. Semiramis, a female conqueror, and able sovereign.

§ 1. Noah is by some considered the Chronos of the Greeks, and is properly the second father of mankind. Little needs to be said of him, besides what has already appeared. His eminent piety procured for him and his family an honourable exemption from the awfully destructive effects of the deluge.

These kings, who were detested by the Egyptians, held the government when Abraham visited it; but were expelled before the time of Joseph. This circumstance explains the remarkable fact, that Abraham, a shepherd, wag very kindly entertained in Egypt; while, in a subsequent age, Joseph's brethren, because they were shepherds, were held in abhorrence by the inhabiWe have here a pleasing confirmation of the truth of the scriptural

tants.

Larrative.

Having built the ark agreeably to the divine direction, he entered it at the age of 600 years, taking with him seven members of his family, together with the animals that were intended to restock the earth. Under the special care of God, he, and the various inmates of the ark, survived the desolations of a world, and leaving the ark in safety, at a little more than the expiration of a year, he built an altar, and offered sacrifice unto the Lord.

Noah lived 350 years after the flood, was engaged in the tillage of the earth, and saw his descendants increasing around him. For an important incident in his life, which has already been mentioned, we refer to Gen. ix. 20-28.

2. Ashur was one of the sons of Shem, and supposed to be the founder of the Assyrians. Scarcely any thing is recorded of him. The scripture asserts that he went out of the land of Shinar, and builded Nineveh, and the city of Rehoboth, and Calah.

3. Nimrod "seems at first to have exceedingly distinguished himself by hunting, which was then not so much a diversion, as a useful method of preventing the hurtful increase of wild beasts. This employment required great courage and address, and thus afforded a field for ambition to aspire after pre-eminence, and gradually attached a number of valiant men to one leader."

"From such a beginning, Nimrod began to claim authority, and enforce subjection; and, in fact, is the first king we read of in authentic history; and afterwards he took occasion to wage war, to extend his conquests, and to enlarge his acquisitions by violence and blood. Thus, casting off the fear of God, and acting in defiance of the divine prohibition of shedding human blood, he rendered himself notorious, and his name became a proverb."

"The beginning of his kingdom," says scripture, "was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar."

4. Menes, the founder of the Egyptian monarchy, was worshipped as a god after death. He appears to have been deservedly popular, by his abilities and wisdom. He built the town of Memphis, as is generally supposed. If he was the same as Misraim, mentioned in scripture, as some assert, he was one of the sons of Ham. He is said to have reigned 62 years over Upper Egypt, and 35 over Lower Egypt.

5. Ninus was a son of Belus. He was very warlike, and extended his conquests from Egypt to the extremities of India and Bac triana. He became enamoured of Semiramis, the wife of one of his officers, and married her, after her husband had destroyed himself, through fear of his powerful rival, or from jealousy. He reigned 52 years, and at his death, left his kingdom to the care of his wife, Semiramis.

6. Semiramis possessed exquisite beauty, and an heroic soul. It was on these accounts that the Assyrian monarch fell in love with her. In her infancy, it is fabulously said, she was exposed in a desert, but her life was preserved by doves one whole year. She was at length found by one of the shepherds of Ninus, and brought up by him as one of his own children.