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ment which in those times pervaded all the civilized nations 
of the East. For the Persian Zoroaster is thought to 
have been born in the sixth century before the Christian 
era, and to have flourished in the reign of Darius Hystaspes. 
Confucius flourished in China in the same age, having 
been born, according to the best authorities, 550 B.C. 
While Buddhism, briefly characterised by Mr. Brian 
Hodgson as " monastic asceticism in morals, philosophical 
scepticism in religion," arose from the midst of Brahmanism 
in the plains of N.W. India (B C. 635), " in an age and 
country celebrated for its literature,'" where its doctrine 
and discipline became fixed by means of Sanscrit, one of 
the most perfect languages in the world, (Hodgson. 
J.R.A.S. 2. p. 288), about the period when Nechao 
and the Pharaoh Hophra of Scripture reigned in 
Egypt. This was half a century previous to the very 
flourishing period of the Egyptian annals; or the reign of 
Ainasis, who favoured the Greeks and allowed their traders 
to settle at Naucratis. It was during his reign, and about 
a century anterior to Herodotus, that Pythagoras is consi- 
dered to have visited Egypt : but both were perhaps 1,000 
years posterior to the most brilliant era of the rule 
of the Pharaohs. Subsequent to the time of Amasif, 
Grecian mercenaries were employed in the civil wars of 
Egypt : these afterwards settling in the country, it neces- 
sarily became inundated with Greeks. 
Medicine is stated, by some authors, to have originated 
with the useful arts in Assyria, and by others in Egypt. 
In the latter, it appears to have been carried to the greater 
perfection, as may be inferred from its different branches 
having been practised by separate individuals, as well as 
from practitioners having been obliged to adhere to a 
written code. That the Greeks were originally indebted to 
this country is well known ; but on this subject I prefer 
