ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



481 



English reader to comprehend their 



TheGeographicalSystemqf Herodo- 

 tus examined and explained, hi/ a 

 Comparison with those of other 

 ancient Authors, and withmodern 

 Geography. In the Course of the 

 Work, are introduced Disserta- 

 tions on the itinerary State of the 

 Greeks, the Evpeditionqf Darius 

 Hystaspes to Scythia,lhe Position 

 and Remains of ancient Babylon, 

 the Alluvions of the Nile, and the 

 Canals of Suez ; the Oasis and 

 Temple of Jupiter Ammon, the 

 ancient circumnavigation of Af- 

 rica, and other Subjects of His- 

 tory and Geography. The whole 

 explained by Eleven Maps, adapt- 

 ed to the different Subjects, and 

 accotnpanied with a complete In- 

 dex. By James Rennell, F.R.S. 



WITHOUT understanding 

 the language in which the 

 father of history wrote, themajor,to 

 whom the geography of India has so 

 great obligations has most ably illus- 

 trated the geography of Herodotus. 

 "It is a common and j ust remark, that 

 the authorit}' of his work has been 

 rising in the opinion of the world 

 in latter times, which may be re- 

 ferred to the number of discoveries 

 that have been lately made, and are 

 continually making, in the coun- 

 tries which he describes. It was 

 ignorance and inattention, there- 

 fore, that determined th^ opinions 

 of his judges; a charge in which 

 several of the ancient^ are implica- 

 ted as well as the moderns. The 

 same want of attention has con- 

 founded together the descriptions of 

 what he saw with what he only 

 heard, and which he might think he 

 Vol. XLII. 



was bound to relate. Mr. Wood 

 speaks much to the purpose respect- 

 ing this matter: 'Were I,' says he 

 ' to give my opinion of him, having 

 followed him through most of the 

 countries which he visited, I would 

 say he is a writer of veracity in his 

 description of what he saw, but of 

 credulity in his relations of what he 

 heard.' We may add, that super- 

 stition made him credulous in be- 

 lieving many improbable stories, 

 but love of truth prevented him 

 from asserting falsehoods. But his 

 ignorance in certain points is infi- 

 nitely more unpleasing than his su- 

 perstition ; for, it may be observed, 

 that, however distinguished as an 

 historian, geographer, and moralist, 

 as a man of science and a natural 

 philosopher, he ranks very low. 

 Wheresoever he speaks of history, • 

 or of morals, he fails not to give in- 

 formation and satisfaction, these 

 being his proper works. 



This work is divided into 26 

 sections ; 1 . contains preliminary 

 observations; 2. discusses the itine- 

 rary stadium of the Greeks; 3. the 

 sentiments of Herodotus concerning 

 Europe; 4. Western Scythia, on 

 the Euxine; 5. the countries bor- 

 dering on Western Scythia; 6. the 

 expedition of Darius Hystaspes to 

 that country ; 7- the countries si- 

 tuate beyond Western Scythia, on 

 the east and north; 8,9- the ge- 

 neral opinions of Herodotus con- 

 cerning Asia. 10. Eastern Scythia, 

 or the country of the Massagetae ; 

 11. 12. the twenty satrapies of Da- 

 rius Hystaspes; 13. the report of 

 Aristagoras, respecting the royal 

 road from Ionia to Susia; 14. the 

 scite and remains of ancient Baby- 

 lon; 1.5. the captivity and disposal 

 of the ten tribes of the Jews. — 

 The l6th,otie of the most interest- 



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