ANCIENT HISTORY. 91 



the calculations of the mod fkilful naturalifh, 

 it would require more than ten thoufand years 

 ibr fo large a mafs of that hard marble to grow- 

 round a bar, and if they knew the art of forg- 

 ing iron more than ten thoufand years fince, the 

 world muft be much older than Mofes makes it 

 10 be. We know alfo that the world has num- 

 btrlefs other natural matks which feem to prove 

 an antiquity (till far greater. We are not ignorant 

 moreover of all the arguments that may be 

 drawn from the chronology of the Chaldeans, 

 Egyptians, and Chinefe, which go vaftly high- 

 er than that of Mofes : but it feems to us, at 

 the fame time, that the world alfo affords num- 

 bcrlefs marks of a recent (late, which counter- 

 balance the former, and at lead reduce the fe- 

 veral arguments to conjectures only. All the 

 chronologies of the Chaldeans, Egyptians and 

 Chinefe, are founded moreover entirely on tra- 

 ditions, and on certain vouchers that are equally 

 equivocal and fufpicious. During the firft ages 

 of all nations the art of writing was unknown. 

 It was a long time before letters were invented : 

 an 1 what confidence can be placed on a chro- 

 nology, fupported only by traditions, and, what 

 is worfe, by the traditions of the Orientals 

 whole heated imaginations have at all times pro- 

 1 fwanr.s of reveries, fubks and cxtra- 

 vag 



II. Rut let us fuppoP: for a moment t 

 there have been Preada nites. Thb mi^ht in- 

 jure 



