520. wit 7 Ailéntic Hifory. of Plato. en ' [Sue. : 
the firft, interpreter of Plate, afferts, yet, 2a every repeat true, as \t was once: 
“that the tollowing hiftory. was faid, related by Solon, rhe mo wile of the fe- 
by.the Egyptian priefis of. histime, to ven wife men. Solon, then, was the fa- 
bé ftill preferved, infcribed, on pillays,”. muliiar and.intimate friend of our great 
it appears to. me, to be at dealt as weil grand-father Dropis, as he himfelf often 
attefted as any other narration, in any. relates.in his poems. But he once de- 
Greek or Roman liftorian., Indeed, he clared to.cur grand-father Critias, (as the 
- who proclaims that ‘¢.truth is the fource. sld man-hindelf informed us) that great 
cf every,good, both to:gods:and men,’ and admirable actions had once. been 
and the’ whole of .whote works confifts achieved by this city, which neverthelefs 
in, detecting error, and exploring certain- were buricd in obhvion through length 
ty, can. never be fuppofed to have wiil- of time, and the deftruction of mankind. 
fully deceived mankind, by publifhing an In particular he informed me of one, 
extravagant romance as matter of fact, -ucdertaking, more illuftrious than the 
with all the prec.fion of hiftorical detail. reit, which I now think proper to relate 
{it is fingular, that a mavration fo no-- to you, both that I may, repay my obli- 
vel.and interefting, fhould nor, long be- gations, and that, by fuch <a relation,; I 
fore this, have been tranflated mto fome may offer my tribute of praife to thegod-. 
modern tongue ; and iris nole‘s fingular, defs in the prefent foiemuity*; by cele- 
that fome learned men fhould have en-. brating her divinity, as it were, with 
deavoured to prove that: America is the, hymns, jufly, and in.a manner‘agree- 
Atlantic [land of Plato, when, as we fhall] ably to truth. boon 
find, that philofopher aflercs; that this Socrates. —¥ou {peak weil. But what 
ifland, in the fpace of one dav and night, 1s this ancient achievement, which was 
was abforbed in the fea. Paat. your readers not only actually related by Sclon, but 
therefore may be fully convinced of the Was once really accomplifhed by this city 
futility of this and many other modern Critias.—t will acquaint you with that 
conjectures onthe Atlantic hifiory,the fol- ancient hiftory, which I did net, indeed, 
lowing tranilation from the Timawus.and yecelve from a youth, but from a man 
Critias of Plato (the latter of which was. very much advanced in years: for, at that 
never berore publithed), are recommend- time, Critias, as he himfelf declared; was 
edtotheir attentive perufal. I believe almoft ninety years old, and I myfelf was 
I may venture to fay, that che verfion is, about ten. When therefore that folem- 
on the whole, faithful, however inferior 

it may be in paint. of com pofiticn to the * i.e, The lefier Panathenaia. The Athe- 
god-like majefty and clegance of the ori- nians had two feftivals in honour. of Minerva, 
ginal. Indeed, I fhall net perhaps vio- the former of which, on account of the greater 
late truth, when I afiert, that it is im- Preparation required in its celebration, was called. 
poffible to tranilate {uch a writer as Plato ¢4# greater Panatheraia; and the'latter, om ac- 
with equal accuracy and elegance. For Cut or : gees a lefs apparatus, was deno- 
who will be hardy enough to affirm the Pade ae je | ache eee Sle ce 
: ake i e 
contrary, when “he finds that every fen- loitedr sand ana pea se as Acs 
: nies 3s fides the anpar i aay He A as 
tence in Pilato, belides Sune apparent, 3S greater Panathenaia too, the veil of the goddefs 
pregnant with fome weighty concealed was carried about, in which the giants were re- 
meaning, and every word fo well chofen, prefented vanquifhed by the Olympian gods\—- 
that no other can, with equal propriety, Proclus (in Tim. p. 26) informs us, that thefe 
be fuofituted in its Mead. This aflec- feftivals fignified the beautiful order which pro- 
tion will, doubtlefs, appear paradoxical ceeds into the world from intelleét, and the un- 
to many, but he who isin the leaft ac- comfufed diftin@ion of mundane contrarieties. 
guainted withzhe profundity of this phi- ne veil of Minerva is an emblem of that one 
lofopher’s conceptions, will immediately ie or nature of the univerfe, which, as Proclus 
ieee ae, Se oe? the geddefs weaves, by thofe intel- 
. : : : eétual vit i i 
~“Manor-Place, Your's, &c. dad thetic te OL ite see 
Walworth. AHO. TAM LOR. gai. 4 A ck eas Gin nie 
gods, fignifies the oppofition between the latt 
Tatas, demiurgic powers of the univerfe (or thofe 
.EROM THE TIMBUS OF PLATO. powers which partially fabricate and proximately 
Critios —HEAR, then, Socrates, a dif-  prefide over mundane natures) and fuch as are 
courfe furprifing, indeed, in the extreme, firft. But Minerva is faid to have vanquifhed 

: sat : : the giants, becaufe fhe rules over thefe ultimate 
suzver ce @ ot moobiset Onot cw AvyuTiiwy aigacers of things by her Uniting powers. 
E) SARUM TOEES ETE “TW COREVEES THY TE Yeo tect . tir aury” 
heer lege . ; | oe * 
tet ehe ) ti) me es 
——— 
