ing fire and sword into the most remote countries, and in leaving every where bloody traces of their progress! Such was the origin of those famous empires which included a great part of the world.

Princes made a various use of victory, according to the diversity of their dispositions or interests. Some, considering themselves as absolute masters of the conquered, and imagining they were sufficiently indulged in sparing their lives, bereaved them, as well as their children, of their possessions, their country, and their liberty; subjected them to a most severe captivity; employed them in those arts which are necessary for the support of life, in the lowest and most servile offices of the house, in the painful toils of the field; and frequently forced them, by the most inhuman treatment, to dig in mines, and ransack the bowels of the earth, merely to satiate their avarice; and hence mankind were divided into freemen and slaves, masters and bondmen.

Others introduced the custom of transporting whole nations into new countries, where they settled them, and gave them lands to cultivate.

Other princes again, of more gentle dispositions, contented themselves with only obliging the vanquished nations to purchase their liberties, and the enjoyment of their laws and privileges, by annual tributes laid on them for that purpose; and sometimes they would suffer kings to sit peaceably on their thrones, upon condition of their paying them some kind of homage.

But such of these monarchs as were the wisest and ablest politicians, thought it glorious to establish a kind of equality betwixt the nations newly conquered and their other subjects; granting the former almost all the rights and privileges which the others enjoyed: and by this means the great number of nations, that were spread over different and far distant countries, constituted, in some measure, but one city, at least but one people.

Thus I have given a general and concise idea of mankind, from the earliest monuments which history has preserved on this subject; the particulars whereof I shall endeavour to relate, in treating of each empire and nation. I shall not touch upon the history of the Jews, nor that of the Romans.

The history of the Carthaginians, that of the Assyrians, and the Lydians, which occurs in the second volume, is supported by the best authorities; but it is highly necessary to review the geography, the manners and customs of the different nations here treated of; and first with regard to the religion, manners, and institutions of the Persians and Grecians; because these show their genius and character, which, we may call, in some measure, the soul of history. For to take notice only of facts and dates, and confine our curiosity and researches to them, would be imitating the imprudence of a traveller, who, in visiting many countries, should content himself with knowing their exact distance from each other, and consider only the situation of the several places, their buildings, and the dresses of the people; without giving himself the least trouble to converse with the inhabitants, in order to inform himself of their genius, manners, disposition, laws, and government. Homer, whose design was to give, in the person of Ulysses, a model of a wise and intelligent traveller, tells us, at the very opening of his Ödyssey, that his hero informed himself very exactly of the manners and customs of the several people whose cities he visited; in which he ought to be imitated by every person who applies himself to the study of history.

As Asia will hereafter be the principal scene of the history we are now entering upon, it may not be improper to give the reader such a general idea of it, as may at least make him acquainted with its most considerable provinces and cities.

The northern and eastern parts of Asia are less known in ancient history.

To the north are ASIATIC SARMATIA and ASIATIC SCYTHIA, which answer to Tartary.

Sarmatia is situated between the river Tanais, which separates Europe and Asia, and the river Rha, or Volga. Scythia is divided into two parts; the one on this, the other on the other side of mount Imaus. The nations of Scythia best known to us are the Saca and Massaget.

The most eastern parts are, SERICA, Cathay; SINARUM REGIO, China; and INDIA. This last country was better known anciently than the two former. It was divided into two parts; the one on this side the Ganges, included between that river and the Indus, which now composes the dominions of the Great Mogul; the other part was that on the other side of the Ganges.

The remaining part of Asia, of which much greater mention is made in history, may be divided into five or six parts, taking it from east to west.

I. UPPER ASIA, which begins at the river Indus. The chief provinces are GEDROSIA, CARMANIA, ARACHOSIA, DRANGIANA, BACTRIANA, the capital of which was Bactra; SOGDIANA, MARGIANA, HYRCANIA, near the Caspian Sea; PARTHIA, MEDIA, its chief city Ecbatana; PERSIA, the cities of Persepolis and Elymais ; SUSIANA, the city of Susa; ASSYRIA, the city of Nineveh, situated on the river Tigris; MESOPOTAMIA, between the Euphrates and Tigris ; BABYLONIA, the city of Babylon on the river Euphrates.

II. ASIA BETWEEN THE PONTUS EUXINUS AND THE CASPIAN SEA. Therein we may distinguish four provinces. 1. COLCHIS, the river Phasis, and mount Caucasus. 2. IBERIA. 3. ALBANIA; which two last-mentioned provinces now form part of Georgia. 4. The greater ARMENIA. This is separated from the lesser by the Euphrates; from

Mesopotamia by mount Taurus; and from Assyria by mount Niphates. Its cities are Artaxata and Tigranocerta, and the river Araxes runs through it.

III. ASIA MINOR. This may be divided into four or five parts, according to the different situation of its provinces.

1. Northward, the shore of the Pontus Euxinus; PONTUS, under three different names. Its cities are, Trapezus, not far from which are the people called Chalybes ar Chaldai; Themiscyra, a city on the river Thermodon, and famous for having been the abode of the Amazons. PAPHLAGONIA, BITHYNIA; the cities of which are, Nicæ, Prusa, Nicomedia, Chalcedon opposite to Constantinople, and Heraclea.

2. Westward, going down by the shores of the Egean sea: MYSIA, of which there are two. The LESSER, in which stood Cyzicus, Lampsacus, Parium, Abydos opposite to Sestos from which it is separated only by the Dardanelles; Dardanum, Sigæum, Ilion, or Troy; and almost on the opposite side, the little island of Tenedos. The rivers are, the sepus, the Granicus, and the Simois. Mount Ida. This region is sometimes called Phrygia Minor, of which Troas is part.

The GREATER MYSIA. Antandros, Trajanopolis, Adramyttium, Pergamus. Opposite to this Mysia is the island of LESBOS; the cities of which are, Methymna, where the celebrated Arion was born; and Mitylene, which has given to the whole island its mordern name Metelin.

EOLIA. Elea, Cumo, Phocæa.

IONIA. Smyrna, Clazomena, Teos, Lebedus, Colophon, Ephesus, Priene, Miletus.

CARIA. Laodicea, Antiochia, Magnesia, Alabanda. The river Maander.

DORIS. Halicarnassus, Cnidos.

Opposite to these four last countries, are the

islands CHIOS, SAMOS, PATHMOS, Cos; and lower, towards the south, RHODES.

3. Southward, along the Mediterranean ;

LYCIA, the cities of which are, Telmesus, Patara. The river Xanthus. Here begins mount Taurus, which runs the whole length of Asia, and assumes different names, according to the several countries through which it passes.

PAMPHYLIA. Perga, Aspendus, Sida.

CILICIA. Seleucia, Corycium, Tarsus, on the river Cydnus. Opposite to Cilicia is the island of Cyprus. The cities are, Salamis, Amathus, and Paphos. 4. Along the banks of the Euphrates, going up northward;

The LESSER ARMENIA. Comana, Arabyza, Melitene, Satala. The river Melas, which empties itself into the Euphrates.

5. Inland:

CAPPADOCIA; the cities whereof are, Neocæsarea, Comana Pontica, Sebastia, Sebastopolis, Diocæsarea, Cæsarea, otherwise called Mazaca, and Tyana.

LYCAONIA and ISAURIA. Iconium, Isauria. PISIDIA. Seleucia and Antiochia of Pisidia. LYDIA. Its cities are, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia. The rivers are, Caystrus, and Hermus, into which the Pactolus empties itself. Mount Sipylus and Tmolus.

PHRYGIA MAJOR. Synnada, Apamia.

IV. SYRIA, now named Suria, called under the Roman emperors the East, the chief provinces of which are,

1. PALESTINE, by which name is sometimes understood all Judea. Its cities are, Jerusalem, Samaria, and Cæsarea Palestina. The river Jordan waters it. The name of Palestine is also given to the land of Canaan, which extended along the Mediterranean; the chief cities of which were Gaza, Ascalon, Azotus, Accaron, and Gath.