C H R O N O L C Y, 67 



the fables that \\\ ^ted by the Egyptian 



priefts. The Greeks were in general vain, par- 

 tial, and held no nation in elleem but their own. 

 The Romans were {till more infatuated with no- 

 tions of their own merit and grandeur : their hif- 

 torians were altogether as unjuit as was t 1 eir fe- 

 nate, toward other nations that were frequently 

 far more rcfpeclable. And, with regard to the 

 Jews in particular, it feems, whatever Jofephus 

 may fay, that their nation, who poflfefTed only 

 that fmall country called Falellinc, never 

 made a fufncient figure in the world to attract 

 the regard of the hiftorians of other civile 

 people. 5. The eras, the years, the periods and 

 epochs were not the fame in each nation ; and 

 they, moreover, began at different legions of the 

 this has thro.vn L> m*oh cJ.-fjunty 

 over chronology, that it appears to be beyond all 

 human :y totally to diipLvfj it. 



XL. Chriftianity itfdf had fubfifted near 1200 

 s, before they knew precileiy how many years 

 had ure the birth of our Saviour. They 



law clearly that the vulgar era w . -, but 



it w. ' time before they c : 



that it required four whole yea; i.e up the 



true . Abb/ Denis ti'.e Li:tK-, who, in 



the ; \ ! /as the firlt a 



to form , and to count 



the rime, in order to mak- their 



chit' .<T Chrsili.m, n his cal- 



2 



