world. Some have commended that prince, for permitting the architect to put his name in the infcription which was fixed on the tower instead of his own*. It was very fhort and plain, according to the manner of the ancients. Softratus, Cnidius Dexiphanis F. Duis Servatoribus pro navigantibus. i. e. "Softratus the Cnidian, fon of Dexiphanes, to the protecting deities, for the use of fea-faring people." But certainly Ptolemy must have very much undervalued that kind of immortality which princes are generally very fond of, to fuffer, that his name fhould not be fo much as mentioned in the infeription of an edifice fo capable of immortalizing him. × What we read in Lucian concerning this matter, deprives Ptolemy of a modefty, which indeed would be very ill placed here. This author informs us, that Softratus, to engrofs the whole glory of that noble ftructure to himself, caused the infcription with his own name to be carved in the marble, which he afterwards coveredwith lime, and thereon put the king's name. The lime foon mouldered away; and by that means, instead of procuring the architect the honour with which he had flattered himself, ferved only to difcover to future ageshis mean fraud, and ridiculous vanity, Riches failed not to bring into this city, as they ufually do in all places, luxury and licentioufnefs; fo that the Alexandrian voluptuoufness became a proverbt. In this city arts and fciences were alfo induftrioufly cultivated, witnefs that ftately edifice,furnamed the Mufeum, where the literati ufed to meet, and were maintained at the public expence; and the famous library, which was augmented confiderably by Ptolemy Philadelphus, and which, by the magnificence of the kings his fucceffors, at laft contained feven hundred thoufand volumes. y In Cæfar's wars with the Alexandrians, part of this library, (fituate in the Bruchion) which confifted of four hundred thoufand volumes, was unhappily confumed by fire. * * De Scribend. Hift p 706. y Plut. in Caf. p. 731. Seneca de tranquill, anim. c. ix. Magno animo Ptolemæi regis, quod in ea permiferit Softrati Cnidii architecti firultura nomen inferibi PLIN. Ne Alexandrinis quidem permittenda deliciis. QUINTIL. K PART PART THE SECOND. Of the Manners and Customs of the Egyptians. EGYPT was ever confchool for wifdom and poli GYPT was ever confidered by all the ancients, as tics, and the fource from whence most arts and sciences were derived. This kingdom bestowed its nobleft labours and fineft arts on the improving mankind; and Greece was fo fenfible of this, that its moft illustrious men, as Homer, Pythagoras, Plato; even its great legiflators, Lycurgus and Solon, with many more whom it is needlefs to mention, travelled into Egypt to complete their ftudies, and draw from that fountain whatever was most rare and valuable in every kind of learn. ing. God himself has given this kingdom a glorious teftimony, when praifing Mofes, he fays of him, that " he was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians." To give fome idea of the manners and customs of Egypt, I fhall confine myself principally to these partiulars: its kings and government; priefts and religion; foldiers and war; fciences, arts, and trades. The reader must not be surprised, if he fometimes finds, in the customs I take notice of, a kind of contradiction. This circumftance is owing, either to the difference of countries and nations, which did not always follow the fame ufages; or to the different way of thinking of the hiftorians whom I copy. СНАР. І. Concerning the Kings and Government. THE the rules of government. A nation HE Egyptians were the firft people who rightly fo grave and serious, immediately perceived that the *Acts vii. 22. true MANNERS AND CUSTOMS, &C. 195 true end of politics is, to make life easy, and a people happy. The kingdom was hereditary; but according to a Diodorus, the Egyptian princes conducted themfelves in a different manner from what is usually seen in other monarchies, where the prince acknowledges no other rule of his actions, but his arbitrary will and pleasure. But here, kings were under greater reftraint from the laws, than their fubjects. They had some particular ones digefted by a former monarch that compofed part of thofe books, which the Egyptians call facred. Thus every thing being fettled by ancient cuftom, they never fought to live in a different way from their ancestors. No flave or foreigner was admitted into the immediate fervice of the prince; fuch a poft was too important to be intrufted to any perfons, except thofe who were the most distinguished by their birth, and had received the most excellent education; to the end that, as they had the liberty of approaching the king's perfon, day and night, he might, from men fo qualified, hear nothing which was unbecoming the royal majefty; or have any fentiments inftilled into him, but fuch as were. of a noble and generous kind. "For," adds Diodorus, "it is very rarely feen, that kings fly out into any vicious excefs, unless those who approach them approve their irregularities, or ferve as inftruments to their paffions.' The kings of Egypt freely permitted, not only the quality and proportion of their eatables and liquids to be prefcribed them (a thing cuftomary in Egypt, the inhabitants of which were all fober, and whofe air infpired frugality) but even that all their hours, and almoft every action, fhould be under the regulation of the laws. In the morning at day-break, when the head is clearest, and the thoughts moft unperplexed, they read the feveral letters they received; to form a more juft and diftinct idea of the affairs which were to come under their confideration that day. As foon as they were dreffed, they went to the daily facrifice performed in the temple; where, furrounded a Diod. 1. i. p. 63, &c. K 2 with with their whole court, and the victims placed before the altar, they affifted at the prayer pronounced aloud by the high-prieft, in which he asked of the gods, health and all other bleffings for the king, because he governed his people with clemency and justice, and made the laws of his kingdom the rule and ftandard of his actions. The high-priest entered into a long detail of his virtues; obferving that he was religious to the gods, affable to men, moderate, juft,magnanimous, fincere; an enemy tofalfehood; liberal, master of his paffions; punishing crimes with the utmoft lenity,but boundlefs in rewarding merit. He next fpoke of the faults which kings might be guilty of; but fuppofed, at the fame time, that they never committed any, except by furprife or ignorance; and loaded with imprecations fuch of their minifters as gave themill counfel, and fuppreffed or difguifed the truth. Such were the methods of conveying inftruction to theirkings. It was thought that reproaches would only four their tempers; and that the most effectual method to inspire them with virtue, would be to point out to them their duty in praises conformable to the fenfe of the laws, and pronounced in a folemn manner before the gods. After the prayers and facrifice were ended, the counfels and actions of great men were read to the king out of the facred books, in order that he might govern his dominions according to their maxims, and maintain the laws which had made his predeceffors and their subjects so happy. I have already obferved, that the quantity as well as quality of both eatables and liquids were prefcribed, by the laws, to the king: his table was covered with nothing but the most common meats; becaufe eating in Egypt was defigned, not to tickle the palate, but to fatisfy the cravings of nature. One would have conclud. ed (obferves the hiftorian) that thefe rules had been laid down by fome able phyfician, who was attentive only to the health of the prince, rather than by a legiflator. The fame fimplicity was feen in all other things; and we read in Plutarch, of a temple in Thebes, which had one of its pillars infcribed with impreca De Ifid. et Ofir. p. 354. tions against that king, who first introduced profufion and luxury into Egypt. The principal duty of kings, and their most effential function, is the adminiftering juftice to their fubjects. Accordingly, the kings of Egypt cultivated more immediately this duty; convinced that on this depended not only the eafe and comfort of the feveral individuals, but the happiness of the ftate; which would be an herd of robbers rather than a kingdom, fhould the weak be unprotected, and the powerful enabled by their riches and credit, to commit crimes with impunity. Thirty judges were felected out of the principal cities, to form a body or affembly for judging the whole kingdom. The prince, in filling thefe vacancies, chofe fuch as were most renowned for their honefty; and put at their head, him who was moft diftinguifhed for his knowledge and love of the laws, and was had in the most univerfal efteem. By his bounty, they had revenues affigned them, to the end that being freed from domeftic cares, they might devote their whole time to the execution of the laws. Thus honourably fubfifted by the generosity of the prince, they adminiftered juftice gratuitoufly to the people, who have a natural right to it; among whom it ought to have a free circulation, and in fome fenfe, among the poor more than the rich, because the latter find a fupport within themselves; whereas the very condition of the former expofes them more to injuries; and therefore calls louder for the protection of the laws. To guard against surprise, affairs were transacted by writing in the affemblies of thefe judges. That fpecies of eloquence (a falfe kind) was dreaded, which dazzles the mind, and moves the paffions. Truth could not be expreffed with too much plainnefs, as it was to have the only fway in judgments; because in that alone the rich and poor, the powerful and weak, the learned and the ignorant, were to find relief and fecurity. The prefident of this fenate wore a collar of gold fet with precious ftones, at which hung a figure reprefented blind, this being called the emblem of truth. When the prefident |