44^ l^^yfi(^^^ ^^^ Mifcellaneous &c. 



The further Examination of it therefore is recommended to 

 fuch curious Perfons, as may have more Leifure and better Op-^ 

 portunities, than 1 had, of meafuring the feveral Periods of the 

 Inundations, the Height of the iV//^^<2^, the Cubit by which it is 

 divided, the Depth of the Soil, and the Quantity of Sediment 

 fucceflively left by the River. 

 Herodotus'* However among the many Doubts and Difficulties, that have 

 EgypT^/re^-been already mentioned, or may be hereafter raifed, upon this 

 ml-HipJy.' Su\))Qdi, there will always be Room to make one very juft and im- 

 portant Obfervation ; That if Herodotus had duly conjideredthe 

 annuallncreafe of the Soil and carried back his Remarks hut a thou- 

 fand Tears heyond the Time of M.ynSy he could not have given the 

 leafl Credit to that long Succejfion ofDjynaflies ' , which 7nake up 

 the Egyptian Hiftory. For hnce,according to his own Reflections, 

 Egj^ptis the entire, though gradual. Gift o^thQ Nile, there muft 

 have been a Time (and that not long before the Period laft men- 

 tioned) when it was either of the fame barren Nature with the 

 Deferts that furround it, or elfe quite covered with Water ; and 

 confequently, there could be no habitable Country for thefe pre- 

 tended Princes to reign over. Our Hiftorian himfelf fuppofes it to 

 have been an Arm of the Sea ; and the Time, pretty nearly, 

 when it was fo, he had learnt homthQ Egj^ptians, who afTured 

 him, that Menes \ was the firft King, who reigned in the World ; 

 that, in his Time, all Egypt, except the Country of Thehes,yN'x^ one 

 continued Morafs ; and that no Part of the prefent Land then ap- 

 peared below the Lake of 3:^m. Now, as this Menes or Ofirts ^ 

 Was the fame with Mizraim the Son of Cham \ the firft Planter, 

 of Egypt ; as all the foregoing Circumftances fo well agree with 

 the Mo fate Account of the Flood and the Difperfion of Mankind ; 

 it muft be allowed, that Herodotus hereby confirms the Truth 

 andCertainty of the Scripture-Chronology ; and at the fame Time 

 overthrows the Authority of all thofe extravagant Annals and 

 Antiquities, that have been fo much boafted of by the Egyptians. 



I ^m!t7a (Ofiridi) it irivmiu^U* 19 fwaa. Xnyi^t^yru mcu It hfMsn jSaa-Mw. 1^ TauuTrf hiyj'fi,m ai^iiuait 

 ^ojtOTSJtAu, euti 71 Koyi^ofitrai, }i) cuh iiny^aipifuyoi -m met. Herod. Eut. 5.145. iX(o oAini f^eyncri^ ma, 

 Viii'Tt'ntKi^Kttf^ fwfid if AfxartY Pecg-iKcAiffiu-Ta, l-jrei 71 Ik tay W7a ^im ol <f)iaAy^ ^ioi lyiyovTe, -ray HpsxAW 

 ivitvofAt^wi. Id. ibid. 5. 43. The like Account we have in D'wdorus, ac the fame Time he ac- 

 knowledges, that the Egyptians boaft of Aftronomical Obfervations, ( «^ liiy im^uv. p. ji. ) 

 from an incredible Number of Years. E/yw Si tn (pum &r Om^iSQf ta( -} AKf^AvJ)ti 0aa-iheia( -TrKiiat 

 TOf^fWfiar if y tvioi^Apouei, fi^a^u hii-iroyTtt rZy S'lap.ufiay i^Tfi^xiay. Diod. Sic. l.i. p. ij. & p. ly. 

 Gtay 'i^TDf ^naihtAi&tu fotric -ny laiJif iicfy' W ky^drmy ii iw j^u'pay ^■S.asif^l^ &5 /liuj/icT®' ctm ^ijo.-)^ 

 JtfiwovTO T«r^{i'7wx;3^M'«r, f«;)^« ^ waTunJs- 1^ o^Jinxowr oAwf/wdEi®'. U, l.i. p.28. 2 Haod. Eut 5.ir. 

 4 Vid. ^hufkffTd'i Conned* Vol. i. p. 205:. 4 Gen. 10. 6. 



A CoLLECTIO*N 



