MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS, 
tle voyage was performed, in fome 
fenfe or other.” The influx of gold 
into Judzxa is equally a proof ofa 
commerce extended into the Indian 
or Aithiopic Ocean, beyond the 1i- 
mits of the Gulph of Arabia. The 
materials ftill found in Egypt, that 
contributed to the prefervation of 
the mummies, are fome of them 
fuppofed to be oriental; and if fo, 
Tgypt muft have had, even antece- 
dent to hiftory, a communication 
with the eaft, either directly by 
commerce of their own, or indirect- 
ly by means of intermediate nations, 
perhaps Arabian., In all thefe cafes 
we have a right to affuume the navi- 
gation from the view of its effects; 
but the voyage of Scylax from In- 
dia to Egypt, or that of the Pheeni- 
cians from Egypt round the conti- 
nent of Africa, have neither pro- 
duce nor confequences; and though 
this is only a negative proof of their 
monentity, it is as ftrong as the na- 
ture of the cafe will admit: if no 
fecond navigator had doubled the 
Cape of Good Hope, the difcovery 
of Gama might have been deeined 
problematical. Were it poflible to 
afcribe thefe two voyages to the age 
of Herodotus, his teftimony is fuch, 
that it ought to preponderate againft 
every argumentof mere fpeculation: 
‘but he probably records only the va- 
nity of two nations, one the moft 
proud of its empire, and the other 
of its fcience ; both capable of at- 
tributing to themfelves an action 
done, ifit were poffible to be done; 
and of this the poflibility was per- 
‘haps known from internal informa- 
tion. “My own opinion is ‘decided- 
ly againft the reality of both thefe 
voyages; but whatever be my own 
judgment, it fhali be fubject to the 
ecifion of thofe who profefledly 
“confider the queftion in its full ex- 
7 AY 
4"e-~* 
435 
tent; it is here only incidental; but 
I mutt ftill repeat, that it is the af- 
fertion of facts without circum- 
ftances, while the voyage of Near- 
chus is detailed in all its parts, and 
is the earlieft authentic journal ex- 
tant. If, then, Iam right, this is 
the firft voyage of general import- 
ance to mankind; If lam miftak- 
en, it is ftill the firft of which any 
certain record is preferved. 
Difquifitions on the Phrafe 
THE ENLIGHTENED PUBLIC. 
From d?Ifracli’s Mifcellanies. 
E who thinks, will perceive in 
every enlightened nation 
three kinds of people: an inconfide- 
rable number initructed by reafon, 
and glowing with humanity ; a 
countlefs multitude, barbarous and 
ignorant, intolerant and inhofpita- 
ble; and a vacillating people with 
fome reafon and humanity, but 
with great prejudices, at once the 
half echoes of philofophy, and the 
adherents of popular opinion. Can 
the public be denominated enligh- 
tened? Take an extenfive view 
among the various orders of fociety, 
and obferve how folly {till wantons 
in the vigour of youth, and preju- 
dice fill {talks in the ftubbornnefs 
of age! 
To trace the human mind as it 
exifts in people, would be the only 
method to detect this fallacious ex~ 
prefiion. The unenlightened num- 
bers, who are totally uninfluenced 
by the few, live in a fonl world of 
their own creation. The m:ral 
arithmetician, as he looks for the 
fum total of the unenlightened pub- 
lic, muft refemble the algebraiit, 
who riots in incalculable quantities, 
and who fimiles at the fimple favage, 
whofe arithmetic extends not fur- 
ther than the number three. 
Ee2 
