c 803 y 
the Mythologies of the Prophets in the 0!d Teftament, and the Parables of 
Chrift in the New. This MyehoJegiek GcmusSalujtm calls Divine \ and 'tis plain 
Myhologics were made ufe of b\ the Ancients to conceal their knowledge from 
the Uulgar, and yet pieferve it fafe for the Learned. Nay, Divine Providence 
doch fo conceal both Divine and Natural Knowledge, that this or char pare 
becomes known to this or that Man in one ^Age, which hath lain abfeonded 
to all preceding. Tals Mythoiogick was the moil ancient Learning among 
the Greeks, as he proves by feveral Teftimonies ; yet was it firfi received 
from the Egyptians. \Jhis caufes him to enquire whether the Works of Htr- 
mes were fo writ, and he finds by a c.'ace quoted by Eufmus, that they were 
firft written plain, then turned by the Son of Thabi-jn into Allegories, and 
Chen tranferibed into Gree^ So that plain Writing was before Mythoiogick ;, 
and 'tis probable thofe that hive it Mythologicallv, had it before pure ; and 
that the Additions that have been added to the firft Fables, have obfeured, if 
not quite obliterated the concealed Senfe He propounds and anfwers two Obje- 
ctions, by which he fhews the Inconfiftency of Men's Anions with their 
Knowledge, and fo Apologizes for the Egyptian Idolatry, and their Aftrolc- 
gick and Magick Practices. Lafr of all, he enquires how the Egyptians came 
to lofe ciiis Learned Stare they had kept for fo many Ages, which he fnews 
to have proceeded from their being conquered andoverun by divers Nations > 
Ss by the F erfians under Cambifes, and fome fucceeding Kings, by whom it 
began to decay. And by the Remans, who burnt the Alexandrian Library, 
with which their Learning was alfo much defiroyed *, and by the Conqueft of 
the Saracens totally exringuifhed. Amongft the bft Hiftorlans - cf the Egypt- 
tian Learning, Minitho was the ch'efeft, as appears by TefHmoaies now ex* 
taor, next Sanchonixthon, then Afclepiades, Petnfiris, Hecateus , Pal-pbxtns? \ 
and Chaemon, and many others. Thefe are LolTes, but nothing to be named 
with the lofsof the Library of Ptolomms Philadelphia wherein many Myriads^ 
perifhed in a moment, containing the Sum of all Egyptian^ nay, and all Ori- 
ental Learning too, in all probability. 
Id the Ninth Chapter he enquires concerning the Grecian Philosophy, of 
which, that he may the more fully give you the Hiftory, he produces fuflfc 
cicnt Proof to (hew it derived from the Egyptian j not that he denies the 
Grecians to have much improved feverar parts thereof: That they learn'd 
their Geometry, Agronomy and Arithmetic!* from the Egyptians, Chaldeans^ 
and Yhmkians, Herodotus, Plato, Ari(lctlt, Diodorus, Strabo, Laertins, 
Achilles T&iu$, and others their own Authors do teftlfle. 'Tis faid, S emir amis 
who lived Eight Hundred Years before the Trojxn War, built a high Totiti 
in Babylon, on the top of which the Aftronomers made their Observations, 
at which times the Gretas had not the ufe of Letters. Moreover, Califthe- 
ms fent into Greece from Babylon Ce'eftial Ofervations for 1900 Years be- 
fore Alexander's time. And Eoigmes found Obfervations at Babylon for 720- 
years, and others were brought of 480, as Pdny relates j thefe were inscribed - 
on baked Bricks : Whereas the Grse^ Obfervations began with Hipparchm and 
Piolomy. Yet though the Hiftories were fumifh'd by the Barbari , the* 
reafons of their Motions were invented by the Greeks. But though they Un- 
proved the Mathematick Arts, yet they vitiated the Phy Ticks, _ which they 
alfo received from them. That the Greeks had thefe from" the Barbari, We* 
mns Alexandrine and £uftbixs both teftine j as do:h alfo Pvrphyms and Jt~ . 
