2.8 Before Chrift 868. 



bear in remembrance, that almofl all, that we know of them, has come 

 to us by the information of their Greek and Roman enemies *. And, 

 even through the medium of fuch malignant information, we feel our- 

 ielves irrefiftibly drawn to prefer them to thole fivourites of the hiftoric 

 mufe in every purfuit of real utility. In fpite of mifreprefentation we 

 are compelled to admire the greatnefs of their power, founded ibiely 

 upon the bafis of trade, and the general wifdom of their condud, till, 

 departing from the charader of merchants, they were led away by the 

 mad ambition of being warriors and conquerors, which brought on the 

 ruin of their flourifliing ftate. From the fame fources of information, 

 when properly examined, we can draw a comparifon between the Phoe- 

 nician colonies and thofe of other nations, which in the early ages v/ere 

 lb frequently roving over the face of the earth. Almofl; every one of 

 thefe colonies may be confidered as a band of plunderers, confifting of 

 one or more chiefs fupported by a crowd of ignorant and miferable de- 

 pendents, driven out from their native country by domeftic convulfions, 

 and in their turn driving out, exterminating, or reducing to flavery, 

 thofe whom they could overpower, and, in fhort, fpreading mifery and 

 defolation wherever they went f . On the contrary, a Phoenician co- 

 lony was a fociety conlifting of opulent and intelligent merchants, in- 

 genious manufadurers, Ikilful artifans, and hardy feamen, leaving their 

 native country, which was too narrow to contain their increafing popu- 

 lation, with the bleffings and good wifhes of their parents and friends 

 in order to fettle in a diftant land, where they maintained a correfpond- 

 ence of friendfliip and mutual advantage with thofe who remained at 

 home, and with their brethren in the other colonies fprung from their 

 parent ftate ; where, by profecuting their own intereft, they effetlually 

 promoted the happinefs of the parent ftate, of the people among whom 

 they fettled, and of all thofe with whom they had any intercourfe ; and 

 where they formed the point of union, which conneded the oppofite 

 ends of the earth in the ftrong band of mutual benefits. Such is the 

 contraft between a colony of barbaric hunters, paftors, warriors, and 

 robbers, and a colony of civilized and mercantile people. 



Some Greek writers fay, that Phidon king of Argos was the firft who 

 coined filver money, and invented weights and meafures. As the Greeks 

 had a good deal of intercourfe with the more enlightened nations of 

 Afia :{:, it is not probable that they could be without the ufe of money, 



* If the works of any of the Carthaginian turc of the early ftate of Greece, as drawn by 



writers had eome down to us, we migiit, between Thueydides in the bcijinning of liis Hiftoiy. 

 them and thofe of their enemies, have come pretty f We may be pretty furc that mcaUires, and 



near to the trnth. I'hilinus a Sicihan Greek, wiio fcales and weights, were invented foon after the 



lived with tlie great Hannibal, and jvrote a hillory creation of the world. Abraham, who lived looo 



of liis wais, is mentioned refpei^fully by Polybius, years before Phidon, had fcales nice enough for 



who balances his partiality againft the contrary weighing filver ; and, no doubt, fuch were in ufe 



])artiality of the Roman hiilorian Fabius Piftor. long before his time. 



f This dcfcription cjtaftly agrees with the pic- 



