64 History of Nature. [BooK V. 



Moeris without any Timber to it; and the Town Crialon. 

 One besides, standing within and bounding upon Arabia, 

 called the Town of the Sun : of great importance. 



CHAPTER X. 

 Alexandria. 1 



BUT justly worthy of praise is Alexandria, standing upon 

 the Coast of the Egyptian Sea, built by Alexander the Great 

 on the Part of Africa, 12 Miles from the Mouth of Canopus, 

 near to the Lake Mareotis : which Lake was formerly called 

 Arapotes. 2 Dinochares, the Architect, renowned for his 

 remarkable Ability in many ways, laid out the Plan with 

 the great Extent of the Circuit of 15 Miles, according to the 

 Shape of a Macedonian Cloak ; full of Plaits, with the Circuit 

 waved on to the right Hand and on the left with an angular 

 Extension; and yet, even then, he assigned one-fifth Part of 

 this Space for the King's Palace. The Lake Mareotis 3 from 

 the South Side of the City, meeteth with an Arm of the River 

 Nilus, brought from out of the Mouth of the said River 

 called Canopicus, for the more commodious Commerce out 

 of the inland Continent. This Lake containeth within it 

 sundry Islands, and, according to Claudius Ccesar, it is 30 



1 Alexandria is connected with much that is interesting in the estima- 

 tion of the Christian and philosopher. It was built B.C. 331, and became 

 the capital of Egypt under the Ptolemies ; at a subsequent period, its 

 library was the most renowned in the world ; its school rose into high 

 repute during the second and third centuries ; it long continued a flou- 

 rishing bishopric of the early Christian Church (having been planted by 

 St. Mark), and was the scene of many Christian persecutions in common 

 with the rest of the empire. Of the ancient city little remains, the only 

 monuments of its extent and grandeur being, as Dr. Robinson relates, 

 " a few cisterns still in use, the catacombs on the shore, the granite obelisk 

 of Thothmes III., with its fallen brother, brought hither from Heliopolis, 

 and usually called ' Cleopatra's Needle ; ' and the column of Dioclesian, 

 commonly called 'Pompey's Pillar.'" Wern. Club. 



2 Or, Rachobes. 



3 (Various reading.) "The Lake Mareotis, from the south part of 

 the city, by an arm of the sea, is sent through the mouth of Canopus for 

 inland traffic ; it also embraces many islands, and is 30 miles in breadth, 

 and 150 in circuit, as Claudius Ccesar says." Wern. Club. 



