[ 2<?0 ] 
tongue. The former of thefe points is abundantly 
cicai from corns and inlcriptions, pubiifhed by the 
15 authors here referred to; and the latter of them is 
no Ids clear horn writers, of the beft and moll un- 
doubted authority. Nay, we have good reafon to be- 
lieve, that the Phoenician or Pun c language was 
fpoken and underitood in fome of thole provinces 
even to the days of St. 16 Auftin. 
With regard to the ifland of Malta in particular, 
which was ib long fubject to the Carthaginians, it 
may not be improper to remark, that the intire re- 
duction oi it items lcarce to have been effected be- 
fore the time of Julius Caefar by the Romans. For 
although the people of that ifland were obliged to 
fubmit to the Roman power, after the deftrudtion of 
Carthage; yet they found means afterwards to affert 
their independency, and (hake off the Roman yoke. 
But notwirhfLndmg they had been rendered a formi- 
dable maritime power, by the extenfive commerce 
which they enjoyed, they were finally 17 fubjugated 
by Ctdar, though with no imall difficulty, about 
lbrty-live years before the birth of Christ. It may 
juffly therefore be queffioned whether the Latin 
tongue was ever much uled in Maita beiore the 
death of that conqueror, or rather before the com- 
mencement of the Chriftian asra, which was but lit- 
tle pofferior to it. Be that however as it will, that 
15 Jo. Goth. Richter. Nov. Num in Colon. Karthag. African. 
Percus. See. p. 8. Lipfiae, 1742. Numiftn. Antiqu. l'hom. Pem- 
broch. et Montis Gomeric. Com. P. 2. 1 . 89. Sam. Bochart. 
Chan. Lib. II. c. xxiv. Tho. Reinef. ubi flip. p. 487, 488. 
16 Chiiftoph. Hendreich, in Carthag. p. 8, 9. Francofurti ad 
Oderam, 1664. 
17 Appian. Alexandria, apud Burchard. Niderfted. in Malta 
Vet. et Nov. lib. II. c. vi. p. 69. Heimelladii, 1660. 
the 
