8 THE HISTORY AND ART 



which akhough it gives but a few fcattered rays o£ 

 light, yet bellows all that can be had, and fuch as are 

 fufficient to render all attempts of going farther, fu- 

 perfluous and vain. I have, therefore, been much 

 furprifed, as I attended feme adventurers in their 

 learned and extenfive enquiries, in hopes of reaping 

 certainty and truth, to fee what pains and erudition 

 they have fquandered away, in feeking after what lies 

 fo full in fight, and is comprifed in fo fmall a coin- 

 pafs. 



Nor is the difpute lefs frivolous, which has em- 

 ployed the pens of many learned and curious perfons, 

 upon the queftion, whether the ufe of chariots, or the 

 art of riding was jf/j^ known ? 



I flatter myfelf that it will appear, from what has 

 been already fuggelled, that it cannot ftridtly be de- 

 cided to which the precedence is duej for in the firft 

 inflance in which either of them is mentioned, viz. 

 ill the firfl: book of Exodus, they are both named to- 

 gether, as well as in the 9th chapter of the ift book 

 of K-ings, where Solomon is faid to have had " his cap- 

 tains, the rulers of his chariots, and his horfemen j" 

 nor indeed can it be thought probable, than when one 

 of thefe methods were known, the other fhould remain 

 long undifcovered. Hence it feems to follow, and 

 with much colour of probability, that they are equal, 

 or very near equal, in point of time; alihough it is not 

 unlikely, that one might prevail more tlian the other 

 at particular airas, and in particular countries', as 



opinions' 



