[ M2 ] 



monuments of antiquity belonging to thofe people, have ever 

 been difcovered either in Great Britain or Ireland ; and from 

 the relation of Strabo", we find thefe ancient traders took 

 every method to keep their commercial difcoveries fecret from 

 the w^orld ; fo that thefe iflands muft have been imperfectly 

 known for many ages. 



The Punic commerce, whatever were its obje£ls, was by the 

 frequent diilentions of the rival ftates of Rome and Carthage 

 often interrupted, and finally ruined at the deftru6lion of 

 Carthage, on the conclufion of the third Punic war. Though we 

 may rather confider it to have expired, like a phosnix, to rife 

 more glorious from its afhes. For the Phoenicians and Cartha;!- 

 ginians, by palling the Streights of Gibraltar, and navigating the 

 extenfive Atlantic Ocean, had fo efFedually raifed the fpirit of 

 commerce on the weftern coafts of Europe, as not eafily to be ex- 

 tinguilhed ; for the Greek colonies, eflablifhed on the fouthern coaft 

 of Gaul at Marfeilles, became rivals to the Carthaginians about 

 two hundred years before the Chriftian aera", and in the reign of 

 Auguflus the Maflylian commerce with thefe iflands was become 

 very confiderable '. Whence there is fome probability that thefe 

 merchants firft introduced the knowledge of money to the 

 ancient Britons ; for at Marfeilles, and Croton in Italy, have 

 been difcovered a number of very ancient golden coins, infcribed 

 with Greek letters, and of that fpecies denominated Incufiy being 



" Strabo, lib. 3. 



^ Polyb. p. 290, 291. Strabo, p. 265. 



' Strabo. p. 305. Died. 347. 



convexd- 



i 



