1046 ' C O N C 
in what they came up to, and in what they were defec- 
tive, when compared with the Moderns. From hence 
alfo we difcover j to what all this was ownng, what were 
the natural, what the accidental Advantages they had 
over us *, and, on the other Hand, what we really and 
certainly poflefs, which were inacceffible to them* Xo 
give a few Inftances of both. ^ r 1 • 
The Ancients feem to have carried the Art of culti- 
vating and improving Countries to a Height of which 
we have hardly any Comprehenfion. In the earlieft 
Times Egypt was wonderfully cultivated, admirably 
improved, and exquifitely adorned. ^Ve cannot form 
a Notion of an Agriculture more perfeft than what 
was prafliced by the ancient Egyptians •, their Temples, 
Palaces, and other publick Strudures, were magnificent 
in the higheft Degree ; and if we incline to dou^ 
the Veracity of the Records that relate to them, the 
very Ruins that ftill remain afford us Teftimonies that 
are abfolutely inconteftible. The Contrivances made 
ufe of for fupplying Water, and the Conyeniency of 
W^ater Carriage, not only to all the great Cities, but to 
every Town and Village, furpafs any thing that is to be 
feenat this Day in the moft civilized Part of the World, 
unlefs perhaps we except China. This fhews that the 
Ancients excelled alfo in Policy, or the Art of eftablifh- 
ino- rio-ht Rules for the Government of Mankind, which 
are beft difcovered from their Effebts, the true Criterion 
of Government being the Exercife of human Induftry 
about ufeful Things, for without Queftion that Nation 
is beft governed where Individuals are beft employed, 
that is,%vhere, on the one Hand, the Laws provided 
fuitable Encouragements for the active, and by aright 
Diredfion and Diftribution of Authority, prevent any 
from being idle. The Ancients excelled alfo in all the 
Sciences- that depend either on the Quicknefs of Parts, 
or the Solidity of Judgment, and in all the Arts that fur- 
" nifh the Neceffities, procure the Conveniencies, or ex- 
hibit the Elegancies of Life ■, the Proofs of all which 
are to be found in their Writings, in the Hiftory of 
their Manners, and in the Remains of their Buildings, 
Utenfils, Coins, Curiofities, iSc. 
On the other Hand, they were certainly detediive 
in thole Sciences that depend upon Experience, as well 
as Sagacity and Genius. Their Cofmography was 
equally narrow and erroneous-, the fame may be faid of 
their Aftronomy, which was not either accurate or well 
applied. Hence it came to pafs, that their Navigation 
was uncertain, flow, dangerous, and confined. Neither 
had they any Notions of managing Commerce by Fac- 
tories or Settlements. In thefe and many other 1 hings 
we certainly furpafs them, but then it muft_ be alfo al- 
lowed, that they could, and we cannot do without them, 
which perhaps is the real Caufe of their Defedts, as well 
as of our Proficiency. 
But there is one Advantage they had, which is very 
little attended to, and yet it was the principal Source of 
that Wealth, the very Relation of which .appears to us 
almoft incredible, I mean that amazing Fertility in va- 
luable Commodities which ieveral Countries enjoyed, 
and of which there are fcarce any Traces to be met 
with now. Several Inftances of this, with regard to the 
Regions of the Eaft, occur in our Hiftory of them 
but becaufe we had no Opportunity of mentioning it 
elfewhere, it may not be amifs to fet down aTeftimony 
■here that is very well worth Confideration. The Ph<£- 
nicians confidered Spain^ and with very good Reafon, 
in the very fame Light that now confiders 
and Peru^ that is to fay, they drew from thence in Re- 
turn for Merchandize of fmall and inconfiderable Value, 
immenfe (^anticies of the richeft Metals, and of Silver 
more efpecially. 
If we may credit Arijtotle^ they not only found 
wherewith to load their Ships, but when that was done, 
they forged Anchors, Bolts and Bars of Silver, to fup- 
ply the Place of Iron, thaqfthey might carry away the 
more of it. Diodorus Siculus affures us that it was chiefly 
owing to the prodigious Riches they drew from Spain^ 
that the Carthaginians were able to fet on Foot fuch nu- 
merous Armies, to equip fuch potent Fleets, and to 
raife./uch ftupendous Fortifications, as made them 
once the Wonder and the Terror of their Neighbours. 
L U S I 0 N. 
In a Word, one might produce good Authorities to 
prove, that there was hardly a maritime Province in 
Spain^ from Algarve and Andalufia^ to Galicia, AJlurias, 
and the Pyrenean Mountains, but what abounded in 
Gold, Silver, Copper, Tin, or fome other valuable , 
Metal. Yet except a Siver Mine in Portugal, of which 
the Reader has had a very particular and authentick Ac- 
count- in this Volume, there is not the Jeaft Sign or 
Token of thefe vaft Treafures, excluflve of the Appear- 
ances that yet remain of the Works that were carried 
on for maintaining them. 
V. But though we have attended clofely to the Com- 
mercial Hiftory of the Indies, yet we have not negleded 
or omitted what might be thought as ufeful or more en- 
tertaining. We have drawn together, from the beft 
and moft authentick Writers, whatever would contri- 
bute to the true Reprefentation of the Religion, Go- 
vernment, Hiftory, Laws and Cuftoms of the feveral 
Nations of India, and have been more efpecially felici- 
tous in fetting forth the Learning, Difeipline, Offices, 
Way of Living, and peculiar Privileges of iho. Brack- 
mans, now called Bramins, and have taken the Pains to 
fet forth the principal Dodrines of their Theology and 
Philofophy. We have been as folicitous about the natural 
Hiftory of the Indies, and have compared what ancient 
Authors have recorded, with the Remarks made by 
modern Travellers upon that Subjedt. 
By this Means we have given the Reader, in a very 
narrow Compafs, and in fuch a Manner, as that Things 
of a like Nature are all placed together, what would 
have coft very great Labour to aftemble out of the dif- 
ferent Books in which they are difperfed, and yet to 
preferve, as far as poffible, ail the Advantages that arife 
from a Variety of Reading, we have, generally fpeak- 
ing, made ufe of the Author’s own Words, and have 
cited the Places where they are to be found in the Notes. 
We have very frequently taken Occafion, from this 
Manner of handling the Subjedt, to diftinguifli Fables 
from true Hiftory, and to fliew fometimes, that there is 
a great deal of true Hiftory in what many hafty Cri- 
ticks have rejedled as Fables. For if, on the one Side, 
it be true, that Ignorance is the Mother of Credulity, 
one may very much doubt, whether Incredulity be not 
her Daughter alfo. This will be the more eafily appre- 
hended, if we confider that there is a Kind of Simila- 
rity between Extreams, and that different Deviations 
from Truth may very well arife from the fame Caufe. 
For, after all, what is Credulity, but believing without Evi- 
dence ? And what Incredulity,other than believing againft 
Evidence ? And whence can either of thefe afife more 
naturally than from Ignorance. If this mean and de- 
teftable Vice occupies the Breaft of one of a mild and 
placid Spirit, he believes without examining whatever 
he hears ; and again, if Ignorance be coupled with Ob- 
ftinacy, there is hardly fuch a Thing as driving Belief 
into a Mortal, whofe Mind is over-run with fuch Ma- 
ladies. 
It is very poffible, that notwithftanding all the Care 
we have taken, fome Miftakes may be difcovered in 
this Part, by thofe who have been fo happy as to obtain 
better Lights ; but a diligent Enquiry, and a ftrid Ex- 
amination, were the only proper Methods to be em- 
ployed to prevent fuch Miftakes, and they were employ- 
ed to the utmoft of our Power. We may add to this, 
another and a very juft Apology, that in this Traft we 
were without any Guide, all who had gone before us 
chufing rather to fave their 'own Pains than that of the 
Reader, and to heap up Relation upon Relation, Ex- 
trad upon Extrad, by which they multiplied their Vo- 
lumes, and neither reprefented Things diftindly them- 
felves, nor left it in the Power of a Reader, who had 
not uncommon Leifure, to form any diftind Notion 
of what was really worth knowing, in that vaft Load 
of Materials that they exhibited to his View. In fhort, 
we faw very plainly, what was amifs in the Compilations 
that went before us, and we were very willing to take 
Warning by their Mifearriages, which put us upon 
purfuing another Method, and if we have miflTed of 
Perfedion in that, we have at leaft this to plead, that 
we meant well, and have done oyr beft. 
VI.. After 
