Egypt, and are found in the cabinets of the curious. This fhews the care which the Egyptians took of their dead. Their gratitude to their deceas'd relations was immortal. Children, by seeing the bodies of their ancestors thus preferv'd, recall'd to mind those virtues for which the publick had honoured them; and were excited to a love of those laws which fuch excellent perfons had left for their fecurity. We find that part of these ceremonies were performed in the funeral honours done to Jofeph in Egypt.

I HAVE faid that the publick recogniz'd the virtues of deceased perfons, because that, before they could be admitted into the facred afylum of the tomb, they underwent a folemn trial. And this circumftance in the Egyptian funerals, is one of the moft remarkable that is found in ancient history.

It was a confolation among the heathens, to a dying man, to leave a good name behind him; and they imagined that this is the only human bleffing which death cannot ravish from us. But the Egyptians would not fuffer praises to be bestowed indifcriminately on all deceased persons. This honour was to be obtained only from the publick voice. The affembly of the Judges met on the other fide of a lake which they crofs'd in a boat. He who fat at the helm was called Charon, in the Egyptian language; and this firft gave the hint to Orpheus, who had been in Egypt, and after him, to the other Greeks, to invent the fiction of Charon's boat. As foon as a man was dead, he was brought to his trial. The publick accufer was heard. If he prov'd that the deceas'd had led a bad life, his memory was condemn'd, and he was depriv'd of burial. The people were affected with laws, which extended even beyond the grave; and every one ftruck with the difgrace inflicted on the dead perfon, was afraid to reflect difhonour on his own memory, and that of his family. But if the

E

deceafed

deceased person was not convicted of any crime, he was interr'd in an honourable manner.

A STILL more aftonishing circumftance, in this publick inqueft upon the dead, was, that the throne it felf was no protection from it. Kings were fpar'd during their lives, because the publick peace was concern'd in this forbearance: but their quality did not exempt them from the judgment pafs'd upon the dead, and even fome of them were depriv'd of Sepulture. This cuftom was imitated by the Ifraelites. We fee, in scripture, that bad Kings were not interr'd in the monuments of their ancestors.

This practice fuggefted to Princes, that if their majefty placed them out of the reach of mens judgment, whilft they were alive, they would at laft be obnoxious to it, when death fhould reduce them to a level with their fubjects.

WHEN therefore a favourable judgment was pronounced on a deceas'd perfon, the next thing was to proceed to the ceremonies of interment. In his panegyrick, no mention was made of his birth, because every Egyptian was deem'd noble. No praises were confider'd as just or true, but such as related to the perfonal merit of the deceas'd. He was applauded for having received an excellent education in his younger years; and in his more advanced age, for having cultivated piety towards the Gods, juftice towards men, gentleness. modefty, moderation, and all other virtues which conftitute the good man. Then all the people fhouted, and beftowed the highest elogiums on the deceased, as one who would be received, for ever, into the fociety of the virtuous in Pluto's kingdom.

To conclude this article of the ceremonies of funerals, it may not be amifs to obferve to young pu pils, the different manners with which dead bodies were treated by the ancients. Some, as we obferved of the Egyptians, expos'd them to view after they had been embalm'd, and thus preferved them to after

ages,

ages. Others, as particularly the Romans, burnt them on a funeral pile: and others again, laid them in the earth.

THE care to preserve bodies without lodging them in tombs, appears injurious to human nature in general, and to those persons in particular for whom this refpect is defign'd; because it expofes too vifibly their wretched state and deformity; fince whatever care may be taken, fpectators fee nothing but the melancholy and frightful remains of what they once were. The cuftom of burning dead bodies has fomething in it cruel and barbarous, in deftroying fo haftily the remains of perfons once dear to us. That of Interment is certainly the moft ancient and religious. It reftores to the earth what had been taken from it; and prepares our belief of a fecond reftitution of our bodies, from that duft from which they firft were taken.

CHA P. III.

Of the Egyptian SOLDIERS and WAR.

T

HE profeffion of arms was in great repute among the Egyptians. After the facerdotal families, the moft illuftrious, as with us, were thofe devoted to a military life. They were not only diftinguifh'd by honours, but by ample liberalities. Every foldier was allowed an Aroura, that is a piece of arable land very near anfwering to half a French acre, exempt from all tax or tribute. Befides this privilege, each foldier received a daily allowance of five pounds of bread, two of flesh, and a pint of

Twelve Arouras. An E- 2 perches, 55 fquare foot, of gyptian Aroura was 10,000 our measure. Square cubits, equal to 3 roads,

E 2

wine

Lib. I. p. 67.

Herod.

1. 2. c.

wine. This allowance was fufficient to fupport part of their family. Such an indulgence made them more affectionate to the perfon of their prince, and the interefts of their country, and more refolute in the defence of both; and, as Diodorus obferves, it was thought inconfiftent with good policy, and even common fenfe, to commit the defence of a country, to men who had no intereft in its preservation.

FOUR hundred thousand foldiers were kept in continual pay; they being all natives of Egypt, and 164, 168. trained up in the exacteft difcipline. They were inur'd to the fatigues of war, by a severe and rigorous education. There is an art of forming the body as well as the mind. This art, loft by our floth, was well known to the ancients, and especially to the Egyptians. Foot, horfe and chariot races were performed in Egypt with wonderful agility, and the world could not fhew better horfe-men Cant. 1.8. than the Egyptians. The scripture in feveral places Ifa. 36. 9. fpeaks advantageoufly of their cavalry.

Diod.
P. 70.

MILITARY laws were eafily preferv'd in Egypt, because fons receiv'd them from their fathers; the profeffion of war, as all others, being tranfmitted from father to fon. Those who fled in battle, or discovered any figns of cowardife, were only diftinguifh'd by fome particular mark of ignominy; it being thought more adviseable to restrain them by motives of honour, rather than by the terrors of punishment.

BUT notwithstanding this, I. will not pretend to fay, that the Egyptians were a warlike people. 'Tis of little benefit to have regular and well-paid troops;

The Greek is wou Tirrapes puses, rubich fome. have made to fignify a determinate quantity of wine, or any other liquid; others; regarding the etymology of the word apusns, have tranflated it by hauftrum a bucket, as Lu

cretius, L. 5. 51. others by hauftus a draught or fup. Herodotus fays, this allowance was given only to the two thousand guards who attended annually on the King, L. 2. c. 168.

to have armies exercis'd in peace, and employed only in mock fights: it is war alone, and real combats, which form the foldier. Egypt loved peace, because it loved juftice, and maintained foldiers only for its fecurity. Its inhabitants, content with a country which abounded in all things, had no ambitious dreams of conqueft. The Egyptians extended their reputation in a very different manner, by fending colonies into all parts of the world, and with them laws and politenefs. They triumphed by the wisdom of their counfels, and the fuperiority of their knowledge; and this empire of the mind appear'd more noble and glorious to them, than that which is atchieved by arms and conqueft. But nevertheless, Egypt has given birth to illuftrious conquerors, as will be obferved hereafter, when we come to treat of its Kings.

T HE Egyptians had an inventive genius, and they turned it to profitable fpeculations. Their Mercuries filled Egypt with wonderful inventions, and left it almost ignorant of nothing which could accomplish the mind, or procure eafe and happiness. The difcoverers of any ufeful invention receiv'd, both living and dead, rewards equal to their profitable labours. It is this confecrated the books of their two Mercuries, and stamp'd them with a divine authority. The firft libraries were in Egypt; and the titles they bore, infpired the reader with an eager defire to enter them, and dive into the fecrets they contained. They were called the* Office for the difeafes