n8 UNIVERSAL ERUDITION. 



hiftory. To render this fyftem however quite 

 complete, it is proper to obferve here, that, inde- 

 pendent of the monarchies and empires which we 

 have hrre enumerated,there have been in the world, 

 during the firft forty centuries, fome other peo- 

 ple and ftates, who though they have not ar- 

 rived at that extreme power which conilitutes 

 empires of the firft magnitude, and though they 

 may not have produced events important enough 

 to attract the attention of all future ages, yet are 

 they notwithftanding worthy to be remembered, 

 though it were only on account of the intimate 

 connexion they have had with the four great 

 monarchies ; and confequently the (ludy of their 

 hiftory becomes necefTary. Thefe people were, 



In A S I A, 



1. The Idumeans or Edomites, who inhabited 

 the country of Seir, between Arabia, the gulph 

 of Perfia, and Judaea. The principal cities 

 were Bozra and Petra. They united with the 

 Jews in the time of Hircan, and had the fame 

 fate with them. 



2. The Arabians^ defcended from Ifmael. 

 There is mention made of the kings of Arabia 

 in the latter hiftory of the Jews. In the reign of 

 Trajan they became tributary to the Romans, 

 but they regained their liberty, and at laft fub- 

 mitted to Mahomet in the year 625 , from which 

 time their princes have been called caliphs. About 

 rhc fame time a party of theie Arabs patted into 



Africa, 



