48 Before Chrift538. 



not the whole, of Italy before the Trojan war. They fent colonies into the 

 neighbouring iflands, and were fovereigns of the fea in a very early age. 

 [Diod. Sicul. L. i, § 68 — Liv. Hijl. L. v, c. ^t,.^ The cities of Pifa, and 

 Labron or Liburn-um, which retain their original names, with little or 

 no variation, to the prefent day, the later being now called Livorno 

 (and by ns Leghorn) and which were among the moft profperous 

 trading communities in the middle ages, were two of the many flourifh- 

 ing cities founded by them in very remote times. Their alphabet is 

 thought by fome learned men to be the mod antient ofallthoie where- 

 of ipecimens have come down to us. The arts and fciences were culti- 

 vated to an aftonifliing degree of perfedion among them, as appears by 

 innumerable fpecim^ens, flill remaining in many cabinets in Italy and 

 elfewhere*. And as it is known that they were powerful at fea and had 

 many colonies, it is at leaft probable that they carried on a. confide i able 

 commerce f. It w^as from them that the Romans learned the art of 

 war, and, in fliort, all the knowlege that they acquired previous to their 

 conquefl of Greece. 



The kingdom of Babylon had flouriflied for fome centuries in 

 great fplendour and opulence ; but, from want of records, the fources 

 of its wealth are unknown to us. It vfas now fubjeded by Cyrus, whofe 

 dominions were more extenfive, and his power much greater, thanthofe 

 of any monarch who had ever lived before him. The only action of 

 his life, falling within the plan of this work, was an eftablifhment fimi- 

 lar to the modern poft, whereby the moft fpeedy intelligence was con- 

 veyed throughout the whole extent of his vaft empire. It is probable, 

 that the goodnefs of the roads, and the houfes of accommodation for 

 travelers at convenient diftances, \vere owing to this inftitution of Cy- 

 rus. Of thefe houfes, which are, perhaps, the fam.e which are now call- 

 ed carvanferais, there were one lumdred and eleven between Sardis, the 

 capital of Lydia, and Sufa, the refidence of the Perfian kings, on a road 

 of 450 parafangs, or 13,400 Greek ftadiaj, which are nearly equal to 

 1,340 geographical miles. [Herod. L. v, c. 52.] 



• A very great varieiy of fpecimens of their Roman writers, vvlio have tranfiiiitted to us a few 



fculpiure and pottery may l)C tctn in the mimcrous fragments of their hillory, tikcn from Etrurian au- 



jilntis of Dempder's Eiruria regulis and Gori's thors or from tradition, what httle wc know of it 



Mifium Eirujcum. A moll magnificent difplay of is totally dellitute of chronology. Every thing 



the Etrufcan art^ from the niufeum of Sir William tiiat could be colleifud concerning this extiaordi- 



Hamillon has fincc been publiflied by Mr. D'Han- nary people may be iouud in DeinpHci's elaborate 



carville. And improved copies of many Etrufcan work De F.tniria regali. 



Tafe», &c. iiave lately been made in England by f Homer is laid to have vifited the coalls of 



Mr. Wedgwood. Spain and Etruria in a Grecian trading veiTcl. 



The very remarkable proficiency of the Etruri- \_lier(Hhli I'lia Homeri.'\ It was a cullom in E- 



ans in almoll all the arts at a time when the light of truria to Inbjedl bankiupts to the feorn of the 



fclence was but dawning in Greece, and every boys, who, ran after them witli empty purfcs in 



ollur part of Europe was fuiik in barbariftii, gives tlieir hands. \_litriic/iil. Punt. ap. Alhcn.~\ Such 



oonfidcrablc probability to the opinion of tlieir a cullom mull have been aii excellent remedy 



Afialic origin, whether the J^ydians, or the Phoe- againll voluntary bankruptcy. 



nicians, or bolii, were their ancedors. As llicir \ Tiieft numbers arc the totals as given by Ple- 



cmpire declined long before the age ©fany of the rodotus. Owing to tirors of tranfcribers there is 



