in Ancient and Modern Times, 91 



Nothing can be more melancholy than the contrast pre- 

 sented by the actual state of these extensive regions. From 

 the reports of the best modern travellers, the greatest part of 

 Persia is at present only cultivated near the great towns, and 

 these are far from numerous. Wandering hordes of barbarians 

 now occupy and desolate a great part of these ancient seats of 

 refinement and civilization. 



From the western confines of Persia, to the shores of the 

 Mediterranean, we find, in ancient times, a population of more 

 uniform density than has perhaps ever existed in the same 

 extent of country. The two Armenias, Mesopotamia, Chaldea, 

 a great part of Syria, Cappadocia, and almost the whole of the 

 Lesser Asia, abounded with large, opulent, and flourishing 

 cities, the sure indication of a prosperous and cultivated 

 country. According to Xenophon, the district called Asia 

 Proper, contained above five hundred populous cities. Many 

 of the Asiatic cities, such as Babylon, Susa, Seleucia, Antioch, 

 Ephesus, Damascus, and others, almost vied with imperial 

 Rome itself in the height of its grandeur. The two great 

 rivers, Euphrates and Tigris, with their tributary streams, 

 facilitated a constant interchange of commodities and manu- 

 factures, and diffused wealth and fertility through every pro- 

 vince. We cannot refuse our assent to the concurrent tes- 

 timony of ancient authors to these facts, when we reflect that 

 these extensive countries constitute that part of the globe, the 

 most visibly destined by Providence to the support of great 

 masses of people. It has required the intervention of more 

 than common obstacles to retard the increase of the human 

 species in these happy regions. Throughout the whole of their 

 vast extent, there is, at this day, scarcely a single city of any 

 considerable magnitude. Every where the dreary spectacle 

 presents itself of imperfect civilization, stinted industry, and 

 magnificent ruins : — no regulated liberty ; no security for pro- 

 perty, and, consequently, few of those successful efforts in the 

 pursuit of private gain, which constitute the ingredients of 

 national vvealth. 



If we pass from Asia into Africa, the marks of deterioration 

 are not less manifest. Ancient Egypt is believed, with great 

 probability, to have contained a greater number of inhabitants 



