Chap. II. of the E a s 
perpetual Alliance, and agreed to pay them an annual Tri- 
bute for protecting the Frontiers from other Barbarians, 
which was paid to che Time of Juftinian a . This is fuffi- 
cient to fhew, how far the Power and Credit of th z Romans 
was funk ; and it is natural to fuppofe, that with them, had 
Things continued in this State, the Commerce of Egypt 
would have funk likewife. But in fucceeding Times, when 
the Troubles of the Empire were appealed, and the Empe- 
ror Confiantine , furnamed the Great, mounted the Throne, 
Things began to change their Face, and new Meafures were 
taken for reftoring and fettling the Affairs of Egypt, as will 
be fhewn in its proper Place. At prelent, this Part of our 
Plan is executed, and the Hi (lory of this Commerce con- 
nected with that of the Princes by whom it was eftablifhed, 
and under whom it flourifhed. 
7. All the Proof we have of the flouriihing State 
of the Indian Commerce, in the latter Part of this Period, 
are drawn from the Circum dances of Things related in Hi- 
ftory ; which, however, diffidently demonftrate it in gene- 
ral, tho* they do not enable us to enter into Particulars. 
The great Attention fhewn by many of the Emperors, in 
regard to the Provinces of the Eaft, and the Vidories ob- 
tained over the Perftans, and other Nations, kept up fuch 
an high Idea of the Roman Power in all that Part of the 
World, that we hear of Indian Embaffadors fent to almoft 
every. Emperor, from Alexander Sever us to Pioclefan : And 
therefore we have the greateft Reafon that can be to be- 
lieve, that their Commerce was, at this time, carried on 
with all the Vigour and Succefs imaginable. 
Another Proof of this, is the Accounts we have of the 
profu fe Reigns of Caracalla , Heliogabalus , and Carinus : 
From which we learn, that there were prodigious Quan- 
tities of Inaian Commodities at Rome *, and it is particular- 
ly taken notice of, that Heliogabalus b firft wore a Robe in- 
tireiy made of Silk, at that Time one of the deareft and 
fiarceft Commodities they received from the Eaft. 
But the ftiongeft and deareft Proof we derive from the 
Laws made in this Period, in favour of Trade in general, 
and tor fettling the particular Duties on the Goods imported 
from the Indies, by the Way of Egypt : For thefe plainly 
lhew, that this Commerce was now more extenfive than 
ever. We may add to this the feveral Seditions and Re- 
bellions which happened in Egypt , and which were the pure 
Effects of the valt Wealth of the Inhabitants of that Coun- 
try, derived to them from the Progrefs they made in their 
own Manufactures, and the Means that within this Period 
they found out, of vending their Paper, Glafs, Linen, 
and other Goods, throughout the Eaft ; by which private 
Men acquired fuch immenfe Fortunes, as enabled them 
even to maintain Armies at their own Expence ; which was 
the Cafe of Marcus Firmius , whofe Riches induced him to 
attempt making himfeif Mafter of the Province, and of 
becoming, from an Indian Merchant, an Egyptian Mo- 
narch c . Indeed, if the Refources of their Traffick had 
not bcen^ pmdigioufly great, it would be very difficult to 
account lor the People of Egypt's recovering themfelves, 
after lo many Pillagings as they were expofed to, in confe- 
quence of the Diforders and Confufions of thole Times, 
which mult have carried immenfe Wealth out of the 
Province. 
It is impoffible to turn one’s Thoughts upon this Sub- 
jeft, without remembering that the City of Rome was 
a, domed with many ol its molt coftly Ornaments, at the 
Expence ol Egypt , and particularly of Alexandria , from 
whence they were tranfported in Ships that were contrived 
on Purpofe, and were of a molt extraordinary Size. Thus, 
for Inftance, Flavius Vefpafian dedicated, in his Temple’ 
which he ere&ed to the Goddefs of Peace, the largeft Sta- 
tue that had been feen, of Egyptian Porphyry ; and of that 
Kind, that was called Bafaltes, of an Iron-colour, which 
represented the Nile, under the Figure of an old Man, 
with fixteen Children playing about him, finnifying the 
Number of Cubits which that River riles, when a? the 
T INDIES. 4 qt 
higheft. Innumerable IriftancCs might be given of the fame 
Kjnd, but that one is fufficient • and it is impoffible to con- 
ceive how fuch prodigious Expences could be defrayed, as 
muft have been neceffarily occafioned by the Luxury of 
tiiofeT imes, and particularly the Love they had to Building, 
in a manner which employed many more Hands than any 
that has been pi act i fed in later Ages* And, to be convinced, 
tnat antient W riters have not deceived us in what they have 
delivei eci upon this Subject, we need only confu It what 
modern Travellers have written, of the Ruins that are ft ill 
remaining in that Country ; which not only come up to, but 
even very far exceed, all the Accounts we have in Books i 
So tnat the Wealth and Splendor of this Country muft 
have been very aft oni filing, in its flouriihing Condition, 
fince the very Remains of Roman Magnificence in Egypt , 
are capable of furprifing fuch as behokfthem ; and are ob- 
ferved to ftrike thofe molt, who are belt: acquainted with 
the Nature and Value ol fuch Things d . 
. -f hele aie all certain and indubitable Signs of immenfe 
Riches . And tho thefe might fall into the Hands of parti- 
cular Perfons, even in Countries that were hot, generally 
fpeaking, more opulent than their Neighbours •, yet we are 
hire this could not be the C'a fe in Egypt , fince it was not 
Alexandria alone, but all the Cities of the Province that 
were enriched with fuch Ornaments : So that their Wealth 
ieems to have been very equally fpread ; or rather, there 
was fuch an Abundance of it, that not a Corner of the 
Kingdom remain unimproved. The City of Arfinoe , the 
Ruins of wnich are yet to be feen, as it flood near the Ara- 
bian Gulph, and at the Mouth of the Canal that had been 
cut from the Nile to the Sea, was crouded with fine Works, 
coftly Obelifks, and Pillars of incredible Size •, which muft 
have been brought thither with inexpreffible Difficulty : 
And yet fo intent were the Romans, in whatever might con- 
tribute to the Improvement of their Trade to the Eaft, 
that, finding an Obelifk of exquifite Beauty, that had been 
fet up by Ptolemy Philadelphia , in Memory of his Wife and 
Sifter*, whofe Name the City bore, and which was 120 Feet 
high, incommoded the Dock, becaufe they were then wont to 
build larger Ships than were ufed in Ptolemy's Reign, Maxi- 
mus, who was then Governor of the Province, caufed it 
to be taken down, and removed to Alexandria e . 
But if it fhould be objedted, that there is no reafoning, 
with any Certainty, about things of this Nature, if the 
. ' x P enct> , at the I ime they were made, cannot be known, 
it R a very eafy Matter to anfwer this, fince, at the fame 
Time that this Obelifk was hewn out of the Quarries in the 
Higher Egypt, there were fix more cut, of the lame Size, 
for which the Workmen received fifty Egyptian Talents, 
which amounts to upwards of thirteen thouiand Pounds of 
our Money ; and the Expence of carrying them muft have 
been far larger f . 
But to film up all in a Word : Even at the Clofe of this 
Period, I mean, when the Emperor Dioclejian was in 
Egypt, he thought it neceffary to burn all the Books of 
Chemiftry that could be colledled, from a Notion, that it 
was by this Art the Egyptians became poffeffed of luch 
prodigious Sums ot Gold and Silver, as made them mu- 
tinous and ungovernable; which is a clear and certain SR n , 
that the Romans themfelves Rad not a juft Notion of the 
mighty Profits that accrued from the Commerce that the 
Egyptians carried on. 
But it is now high Time to inquire into the Difcoveries 
that were made, in confequence of this Trade, and the 
Accounts that were from time to time tranfmitted, of 
the State and Condition of the Countries, which their Mer- 
chants, and other I ravellers, viftted ; a Thing extremely 
requifite, even for the undemanding of modern Voyages 
and Travels, where we often meet with Pafiages, that 
either tend to explain the Accounts given by the Antients 
or to refute them ; the Worth of which we cannot com- 
prehend, unlefs we are acquainted with the Accounts them- 
Lives : And, indeed, in laying thefe together, confifts the 
dilho WLVf byPAg SilK airmems : Bar, fa, oXVlnderkldA fh T""’ 7“ V Law , nraJe > Man Oiould 
In -u m b. 
50 
great 
