his proposals. He therefore took another course. He substituted iron for gold and silver, as the medium of exchange.

As this iron money was of no account among the neighbouring countries, the Spartans could no longer indulge in luxury, by purchasing foreign costly articles. The necessary arts of life he allowed to be practised only by slaves.

He then commanded that all persons, even the kings themselves, should eat at public tables, and that these tables should be served only with plain food. This regulation, more than any other, offended the rich citizens. They rose in a body and assaulted Lycurgus; and one of them, pursuing him to a sanctuary, struck out his eye with a stick.

Lycurgus no otherwise punished this offender, than by making him his page and attendant. In time, these dinners, at which they served up a kind of soup, called black broth, came to be much relished, and very pleasant discourse often enlivened them.

An admirable part of the ceremony at these public meals was the following. When the company were assembled, the oldest man present, pointing to the door, said, "Not one word spoken here, goes out there." This wise rule produced mutual confidence, and prevented all scandal and misrepresentation.

The children were taught in large public schools, and were made brave and hardy. All the people were accustomed to speak in short pithy sentences, so that this style of speaking is even now called after them, laconic; Laconia being one of the names of Lacedæmon.

When Lycurgus had firmly established his new laws, he ensured their observance by the following contrivance. He left Sparta, after having made the people swear, that they would abide by his laws, until he should return. As he intended not to return at all, this was to swear that they would keep his laws for ever.

Lycurgus died in a foreign land. By some it is asserted, that he starved himself to death. His laws continued in force 500 years, during which time the Spartans became a powerful and conquering people.

The institutions of this legislator were impaired by many blemishes. The manners of the Lacedæmonian women were suffered to be shamefully loose. The youth were taught to subdue the feelings of humanity. The slaves were treated with the greatest barbarity. Even theft was a part of Spartan education.

The object of this was to prepare their minds for the stratagems of war. Detection exposed them to punishment. Plutarch tells us of a boy, who had stolen a fox and hidden it under his coat, and who rather chose to let the animal tear out his bowels, than to discover the theft.

SECT. 8. The first of the Olympiads, an era by which the events in Grecian history are reckoned, occurred 776 years B. C. The Olympic games were first instituted about 1450 years B. C., but having fallen into disuse, were restored

at different times, and from the period above mentioned, form a certain epoch in history.

§ The nature of these games will be described under the "General Views," at the close of this work.

MACEDON.

SECT. 9. MACEDON, a kingdom in Greece, and sometimes considered distinct from it in its history, was founded by Caranus, an Argive and descendant of Hercules, about 795 years B. C. The government continued in his line 647 years, i. e. till the death of Alexander Ægus, the posthumous son of Alexander the Great.

§ The history of Macedon under its first kings is obscure, and presents only some wars with the Illyrians, Thracians, and other neighbouring nations. It became, as we shall hereafter learn, very powerful, and under Philip overturned the liberties of the other states of Greece.

ASSYRIA.

SECT. 10. After a chasm of 800 years in the history of the first kingdom of ASSYRIA, we find a few particulars respecting one or two of its last sovereigns. Pul, who is mentioned in scripture, subdued Israel in the reign of Menahem, who became his tributary. This Pul is supposed to be the king of Nineveh, who, with his people, repented at the preaching of Jonah. If this be the fact, he flourished about 800 years B. C.*

§ The object of Jonah's preaching was to denounce the divine judgements against this people on account of their wickedness. The prophet after great reluctance to obey the command of God, and a signal chastisement for his disobedience, repaired at length to Nineveh, and executed his commission.

The Ninevites took the alarm, and humbled themselves before Jehovah, in consequence of which they were delivered at that time from destruction. The Assyrian empire, of which Nineveh was the capital, ended, however, soon afterwards, as we shall now learn.

Sect. 11. Sardanapalus was the last and the most vicious of the Assyrian monarchs. In his reign a conspiracy broke out, by which the kingdom was destroyed, 767 years B. C. Three monarchies rose from its ruins, viz. Nineveh, which

* We have here followed Usher, and not the authors of the Universal His tory, Usher, as we think, more consistently, supposes Pul to be the father of Sardanapalus.

preserved the name of Assyria, Babylon, and the kingdom of the Medes.

§ Sardanapalus was the most effeminate of mankind. He never left his palace, but spent all his time with his women and his eunuchs. He imitated them in dress and painting, and spun with them at the distaff. Being besieged in his city, by Arbaces, governor of the Medes, he at length set fire to his palace, and consumed himself, with his women, eunuchs, and treasures.

EGYPT.

SECT. 12. EGYPT continued to be governed by a race of kings, concerning whom the common accounts seem not to be very satisfactory. The most considerable or the best known of them were Shishak, Rhamses, Amenophis IV. and Thuoris. Shishak is mentioned in scripture, and he is by some authors considered the same as Sesostris. But we are disposed to consider Sesostris as much more ancient, and have accordingly spoken of him in a former period.

§ Concerning Shishak, it appears that he built many temples and cities, dug canals, and among other conquests, took Jerusalem and spoilt the temple.

Rhamses possessed a very avaricious disposition. Diodorus informs us, that he was never at any expense either for the honour of the gods, or the welfare of his people; but that his sole delight was in the augmentation of his private treasure, which, at his decease, amounted to no less than 400,000 talents.

Amenophis IV. is thought to be the same with Memnon, whose famous statue was said to utter a sound at the rising of the sun. The monument in which he was buried, is much celebrated for its magnificence. He acquired great renown by his expedition against the Bactrians.

Thuoris lost the Egyptian possessions in the East; and after his death, Egypt, reduced within its natural boundaries, was divided among several little kingdoms for about 44 years.

PHOENICIANS.

SECT. 13. The PHŒNICIANS, during this period, were governed by the successors of Hiram, of whom the first was Baleazar, his son; and the seventh from him was Pygmalion, the brother of the celebrated Dido. The cruelties of Pygmalion obliged her to flee to Africa, where she founded a mighty sovereignty, as will now be mentioned.

CARTHAGE.

SECT. 14. According to the most probable accounts, it was 869 years B. C. when Dido arrived at Africa. The history

of the CARTHAGINIANS is dated from this event. She fixed her habitation at the bottom of a gulf, on a peninsula, near the spot where Tunis now stands.

From this, Carthage arose, a city which afterwards became famous for its wealth and power, and from its connexion with the Roman wars. The early history of the people, who were called after the name of their principal city, is but little known. Its later history is involved in that of Rome.

It is probable Dido might have found a few inhabitants in this place, whom its local advantages had induced to settle there; but to her and her attendants, Carthage is doubtless indebted for a regular foundation.

The colony had the same language, and national character, and nearly the same laws, with the parent state. In the height of its splendour, it possessed a population of 700,000 inhabitants, and had under its dominion 300 small cities, bordering on the Mediterranean sea.

Pygmalion, wishing to possess himself of the immense riches of Sichæus, the husband of Dido, took an opportunity, while they were engaged in a chase, to run him through the body with a spear. The suspicion of his sister was awakened; but, concealing her design, she requested Pygmalion to furnish her with men and ships, to convey her effects to a small city between Tyre and Sidon, that she might live there with her brother Barca.

The king granted her request; but Dido had no sooner embarked her property on board, than her brother and others, who favoured her real design, set sail for Cyprus, whence they carried off a great number of young women, and then steered their course to Africa.

The Tyrian monarch, thus defeated in his schemes, was about to send a fleet after the fugitives; but the tears of his mother, and the threatening predictions of the oracle, prevented his intended revenge.

ITALY.

SECT. 15. In ITALY, at the time of Numitor, about 775 B. C., there was a turn in events deserving our notice. Amulius, the brother of Numitor, being ambitious of the throne, usurped the government, and connected this act with the murder of the king's only son, and with compelling Rhea Sylvia, his only daughter, to become a vestal. He thus meant to prevent any from becoming claimants to the throne.

The event, however, frustrated the hopes of Amulius; for from Sylvia sprung Remus and Romulus, twin brothers, who, at length overcoming Amulius, replaced their grandfather, Numitor. on the throne.

§ Amulius, hearing of the birth of Remus and Romulus, so contrary to his expectations, ordered the mother to be buried alive, the punishment of incontinent vestals, and the children to be thrown into the river Tiber. The latter sentence was executed, but the former was prevented by the intercession of a daughter of Amulius.

The infants, though put into the Tiber, were saved, since the basket in which they were covered, floated on the surface. It was borne to the foot of the Aventine mount, and there stranded. According to some accounts, a she-wolf suckled them, which is incredible.

According to other accounts, the woman who preserved and nursed them, was called Lupa, and as Lupa is the Latin word for she-wolf, this circumstance caused the mistake.

The two brothers became shepherds, were fond of hunting wild beasts, and at length turned their arms against the robbers that infested the country. Having been informed of their high birth, they collected their friends, and fought against Amulius, their uncle, and killed him.

Numitor, after an exile of 42 years, was then called to the throne again, and was happy to owe his restoration to the bravery of his grandsons. Such were the youths who were destined by Providence to lay the foundation of a city, which became the mistress of the world.

Distinguished characters in Period V.

1. Solomon, endowed with extraordinary wisdom. 2. Homer, the greatest of the Grecian poets.

3. Hesiod, an eminent Greek poet.

4. Lycurgus, a reformer of the Spartan republic, and wise legislator.

5. Dido, a Tyrian princess, who founded Carthage.

6. Isaiah, the greatest of the prophetical writers.

§ 1. Solomon was the son of David by Bathsheba. He succeeded David in the kingdom of Israel. He was the wisest of mankind. In early life he appeared to be exemplary in piety, but was afterwards guilty of great defection from the strictness of religion. It is believed, however, that he did not die an apostate. The temple which he erected at Jerusalem in honour of the God of Israel, has also rendered his name immortal.

He wrote the books of Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, and the Canticles, all inspired by the Spirit of God. He died 975 years B. C. aged 58 years, and having reigned 40 years.

2. Homer was not only the greatest of the Greek poets, but the earliest whose works have survived the devastations of time. On these accounts he is styled the father of poetry, and indeed, so far as we can know with certainty, he is the most ancient of all profane classical writers.

The place of his nativity is unknown. Seven illustrious cities contended for the honour of having given him birth. His parentage