[ ^ ] 



age and agriculture were the only employments of the firft men, lb cat- 

 tle and flocks, and the fruits of the earth, were the only objects of the 

 firfl commerce, or, more properly fpeaking, of that fpecies of it known 

 by the name of barter. The invention of manufacT:ures enabled the 

 more ingenious and induftrious members of the community to add to 

 their own comfort and convenience ; and alfo, by difpofing of the pro- 

 du6tions of their labour and ingenuity, to acquire an addition to the 

 produce of their own fields, or their own flocks, which rendered them 

 comparatively rich. We are not fufficiently informed of the flate of 

 mankind in the earliefl; ages to know, wheth'er there were any, who be- 

 llowed their whole time and attention upon raanufadures, or, in other 

 words, followed trades or profefllons ; whether their exchanges v/ere 

 extended beyond the near neighbourhood of the actual producers, and 

 conducted by a clafs of people devoting their attention to fuch bufinefs, 

 whom we call merchants ; or whether any univerfal llandard or me- 

 dium, which we call money, was then invented. 



We find, however, in the very brief hiftory, which we have, of tHe 

 ages preceding the flood, a few Ihort notices, which infer, that fome 

 proiivefs had been made in manutaftin-es during that period. The 

 building of a city, or village, by Cain, however mean the houies may 

 have been-, fuppoi'es the exiftence of fome mechanic knowlege. The 

 tnufical inflruments, as harps and organs, the works in brafs and in 

 iron (the moft difficult of all metals in the application of it to the fer- 

 vice of mankind) made by the following generations *, Ihew, that the 

 •arts were conliderably advanced : but above all the conflrudion of 

 Noah's airk, a Ihip of three decks, covered all-over with pitch, and vajft- 

 ly larger than any modern effort of naval architecfture, proves, that 

 many feparate trades were then carried on ; for it can by no means be 

 •luppoied, that Noah and his three fons could, colled and prepare the vail 

 quantity and variety of materials, and alio tools, neceflary for carrying 

 on fo flupendous a fabric, had there not been people, who made a trade 

 of fupplying them in exchange for commodities, or perhaps for money. 



The enormous pile of building, called the Tower of Babel, was con- 

 flruded of bricks, the procefs of making which appears to have been 

 very well underllood f. 



Some learned afironomers arc perfuaded that the celeflial obfervations 

 ot the Chinefe reach back to 2249 years before the commencement of 

 the Chrifl^ian jera |. And the celellial obfervations made at Babylon, 



• Naamali, tlic fifttr of Tubal.caiii, is faiJ by injr that perhaps-imaginary princcfs, or gockkfs. 



fotnc autlion to liavc iiivcnttd, or ]iiartifcd, wool. [Sec Limttmiiil IVi/fonl's Diferlii/ioti on S^minimis, 



cardiiij', fpimiing, weaving, &c. but, I bclitvo, from the Hindu fatred books, in the /^iii/ic re- 



-without any f.iffititnt aulhoidy. fearcha, V. iv.] 



t I fay nothing of the wonderful building!), | The arguuiiiils for and ajj.iind tlic genuine- 



/lcet.i, and armies, aftrlljcd to Sciniramis, bicaiifc nefsofthcfe obfervations are given by Monlucia, 



it is impofiibic to know any thing ctilaiii concern- JJiJ!. dc mathcmaliqiies, V. \, p. 385. 



