2i8 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS, Book II. 



bufinefs, and his teachers and inftrudors ; and he has given us a 

 very particular account of their manner of living, which, he faysj 

 he took from the books of the priefts *. If, therefore, it be true, as 

 Plato has faid, that it is only the government of philofophers which 

 can make a people happy, the Egyptians certainly enjoyed that 

 happinefs, more than any people ever did. 



There is one part of the Egyptian polity, of which I have not 

 yet fpoken, and with which I will conclude. It is, I think, a ma- 

 terial part, and of very great importance. What I mean is the di- 

 vifion of the land of Egypt among the king, the priefts, and the 

 foldiers. I have juft mentioned it in a preceding part of this vo- 

 lume tj where I have obferved, that it was the antient feudal fyftem 

 of Europe. I have been always a great admirer of that fyftem : 

 But fince I difcovered that it was the wifdom of the Egyptians, 

 1 admire it ftill more, and particularly that part of it, which con- 

 ftituted a landed militia. The advantages of this inftitution Dio- 

 dorus has very well explained if : He fays* it makes the foldiery 

 encounter more chearfully the dangers of war, and fight for a coun- 

 try, of which they have fo confiderable a (hare : ' For,' fays he, *lt is 



* abfurd to truft the fafety of a country to men, who have nothing in 



* it to lofe of any value:' 'And, what, 'he adds,' is of the greateft con- 

 ' fequence, being well fupplied with all the ncceflfaries of life, they 

 ' marry and beget children, and in that way increafe the population 



' of 



• Diodorus Siculus, lib. i. cap. 6g. 70. and following, where this author Informs 

 us of a thing which I think remarkable, that the King was ferved by no flaves, nor at- 

 tended by any body, except the fons, above 20 years of age, of Priefts the mod emi- 

 nent for their knowledge, and thefe fons themfelves diftinguilhed by their learning. 

 And, upon this occafion, he makes a very fenfible obfervation, that kings do no very bad 

 things, unlefs by the miniftry of thofe who attend them. Then he proceeds to tell us 

 how the Kings divided the day betwixt public bufinefs, offices of religion, and ftudy. 



t Page 133- 



% Lib I, cap. 73, 



