142 
■ — “ Medus ademit 
c ‘ Assyrio, Medoque tulit moderamina Perses. 
“ Subjecit Persen Macedo: cessurus et ipse, 
“ Romanis.” 
These lines of Claudian contain a compendium of all the ancient 
history, which the Greeks and Romans, and we, through them, 
have had any account of: but we have good reason to believe, 
that could the synchronous histories of Ilindostan, Thibet, Siam, 
and China, be obtained, they would be well worthy of our atten- 
tion. For if a skill in manufactures be a sign of civilization, we 
know from various authorities, that the Indians and Chinese were 
as much superior to the most ancient nations of the western world, 
in the arts of dying, japanning, weaving of silk, and linen, and 
other trades, as they are at present to us. And if we may be 
allowed to draw any conclusions from the immense buildings now 
existing, and from the little of the inscriptions which can be inter- 
preted on several of the choultries and pagodas, I think it may 
safely be pronounced, that no part of the world has more marks 
of antiquity for arts, sciences, and civilization, than the peninsula 
of India, from the Ganges to Cape Comorin. 
44 We yet know nothing, or next to nothing, of the treasures of 
eastern learning; but, from what we do know, there is no reason 
why we should be deterred from endeavouring to know more. 
Proverbs and poems have their graces and their uses: but from 
eastern learning we derive more substantial benefits than what can 
be expected from such compositions. We owe algebra entirely to 
the Indians, or Arabians: chemistry, medicine, natural history, 
