Chap. X. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 203 



Greek genius^ particularly fuited for the fine arts. — Of the eleBion 

 of the Kings in Egypt. — The Priefts there ijuere ele^ors, — but had 

 not fo great poivcr over the Kings, as the Priefts of Ethiopia had, 

 though the Egyptians ivere a colony of Ethiopians, and though 

 there ivas a great fimilarity of ctifloms and manners in the tzvo nw 

 iions. — Of the divifion of land in Egypt. 



HAVING laid fo much in the preceding chapter of government 

 in general, and of the different govermuents of different na- 

 tions, 1 come now to fpcak of the government of Egypt. 



That Egypt had very eorly a regular form of government, I 

 think I have proved very clearly, as early as the days of Jofeph*. 

 Nor does it appear, that tliere v^'as in any other country, at that 

 time, a regular form of polity except in India ; but which, I (hall 

 fhow very clearly in the fequel, came from Egypt : And this being 

 the cafe, it is evident, that this great and mod ufeful art of go- 

 vernment was invented in Egypt, as well as the other arts 1 have 

 mentioned. 



In every country, where there is a regular government, there muft 

 be, as 1 have obferved, two orders of men very diffeient from one 

 another, the governors and the governed. I will begin with the 

 governors of Egypt, the moft illuftrious order of the two, and 

 who, if they are not men, fuch as they ought to be, it is impoITible 

 that the country can be well governed. The form of the govern- 

 ment in Egypt was monarchical, the beft of all forms, as I think I 

 have proved it to be : And that this was the opinion of the people 

 of the country, who, as I have fhown, were efteemed the wifeft of 

 all the antient nations, Herodotus tells us, when he fays, that the 



C c 2 Egyptians 



* Page 132. of this volume. 



