300 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book III. 



in the Greeks, to cloath and arm, in that way, the fon of Amphytrion, 

 wlio lived only a generation before the Trojan war. This Egyp- 

 tian Hercules, Diodorus fays, begot many children, among whom 

 he divided India ; and their race continued to reign there for many 

 generations, fome of them down to the time of Alexander. He al- 

 fo built feveral cities, of which he names one, that he calls Palibo- 

 thra, a great, he fays, and populous city *. 



If there could be any doubt of the Egyptians having been In In- 

 dia, notwithftanding the records in one country, and the traditions 

 ia the other, and the demonftration which I think arifes from the 

 nature of the thing, it muft be entirely removed by monuments 

 which were to be feen in India, as late as the days of Diodorus Si- 

 culus ; who tells us, that, among other towns that Ofiris built in 

 India, there was one which he called Nyfla, the name of the town 

 in Arabia where he was nurfed. In the ground, about this Indian 

 town, he planted the Ivy, a plant that was confecrated to him ; and 

 our author fays, that in no other part of India it is found. He adds, 

 that he left fo many monuments in India, that the Indians of later 

 times claimed him as their countryman f . 



I will add to the teftimony of Diodorus, that of another hiftorian 

 who had an opportunity of being very much better informed con- 

 cerning the expeditions of Ofiris and Hercules into India, than Dio- 

 dorus or any other author who has written upon the fubjecl. The 

 author I mean is Arrian, very valuable both for matter and ftile, 

 and well deferving the eulogium which Photius has beftowed on 

 him X' He has written a book upon India, and is an author of the 

 greateft authority, with refpedl to Indian affairs, of any antient au- 

 thor 



* Diod. lib. 2. cap. 38. 



I Ibid. lib. I. cap. 19. 



1 See the end of his Echgae from Arrian's Hiftory of Alexander. 



