veral rich donations: and he particularly raised two magnificent obelisks in the temple of the Sun at Heliopolis.

After this King we meet with nothing in the Egyptian history worth our regard, till the reign of Amafis, or Amofis, many ages after him. This tyrant is recorded to have forced his fubjects, with the utmost violence and injuftice to their perfons and poffeffions, to call in a foreign power, Actifanes, King of Ethiopia; by whofe affistance they drove him from the throne. However, Amofis is allowed to have abolifhed the inhuman cuftom of facrificing men to Juno at Heliopolis, and instead of them to have fubftituted waxen images. They were examined, and fealed like pure calves; and called Typhonians. Three of them were burnt in a day, and their ashes scattered abroad, fo as to be feen no more; and this publickly every year, during the Dog-days, at the city of Idithya. See Vol. VI. P. 97, 205. S. Di Atifanes fucceed him?

T. Alifanes did fucceed him, united Egypt to Ethiopia, and bore his advancement with great prudence, moderation, and affection towards his new fubjects. At his acceffion to the throne, Egypt was fadly peftered with thieves and robbers, whom he was determined to root out of his dominions, and therefore ordered a general fearch to be made after them: and every one that could not clear himself of the charge, after a fair trial, was condemned to have their noses cut off, and to be banished to the remoteft part of the defert between Syria and Egypt; where he built them a town, which was called Rhinocolura, from the disfigurement of its infamous inhabitants. This part was so barren, that it fcarce afforded any one neceffary of life: for the few wells and ponds, found within its bounds, were brackish, bitter, and unpleasant to the palate.

Upon the death of Actifanes the Egyptians chofe one Mendes, or Marus, their King; of whom we have nothing more to fay, than that he built a famous fepulchral labyrinth. But, it is apprehended, his adminiftration was

far from being agreeable to his fubjects, who rather chofe to live in a ftate of anarchy, for five generations, than to venture upon another choice of a King.

At length Cetes, whom the Greeks call Proteus,a Memphite of obfcure birth, was elected King of Egypt. The Priests gave him out for one skilled in the weather, or a Magician; and pretended he could affume any fhape or form he pleased, even that of fire. Hence comes the fable of Proteus, among the poets; which was grounded upon a cuftom among the Egyptians (perhaps introduced by Proteus) who were used to adorn and diftinguish the heads of their Kings, with the reprefentations of animals or vegetables, or even with burning incenfe, as fo many enfigns of royalty, to ftrike the beholders with dread and fuperftition. In his time Paris, or Alexander, was driven by a ftorm on the coafts of Egypt, and there landed with Helen, whom he was carrying from Greece to Troy. But when he heard the perfidious breach of hofpitality, committed by this young man, he feized him, his miftrefs, and his companions, with all the riches he had brought away with him from Greece: As for Helen, and her husband's effects, he detained them, promifing to restore both, as he did, to the injured party, when demanded: but he commanded Paris and his companions to depart out of his dominions in three days, upon pain of being treated as enemies.

His fon and fucceffor Rham; finitus, who, treading in his father's steps, ruled Egypt in juftice and mercy, and was a conftant obferver of good order, is the fame as the poets pretend defcended, alive into the infernal regions to play at dice with Ceres, and was by her prefented with a golden bowl, at his departure. But the nation, after his death, was miferably oppreffed with the impieties, and cruelties, and injuftice of his fucceffors, till Mycerinus, or Cherinus, mounted the throne, who diftinguifhed himself for works of piety, juftice, and mercy. He opened the temples, restored the facrifices; and if a

complaint,

complaint, at any time, was made to him of a hard fentence pronounced in matter of property, he would fatif fy the party aggrieved, to the amount of the lofs, out of his own treasure. But while he was thus intent upon the happiness of his people, being told by the oracle at Butus, that his days fhould be few, and that he had but fix years more to live; he wanting the comfort of the Chriftian faith, of a future ftate of happiness in confequence of the good we do in this life; was greatly troubled, and accufed his Gods with ingratitude, for requiting his piety and humanity with the rigidnefs of his fentence, when he had feen the ungodly live in profperity for fifty or fixty years together; and gave himfelf up to all manner of jollity, revelling, pleasures and excefs, during the remaining part of his life.

S. Was there not a King of Egypt named Sabbaco?

T. Sabbaco was King of Ethiopia, and, breaking into Egypt with a powerful army, drove King Anyfis from the government, and once more annexed Egypt to the crown of Ethiopia. He was much extolled for his mercy, clemency, and policy. And, to excufe his invafion of a neighbouring kingdom, it is faid, That he did it only in obedience to a heavenly vifion, which affured him he should hold the king dom of Egypt fifty years and That, when that number of years was expired, he voluntarily abdicated the fame, and retired into Ethiopia. He is thought to be the So in fcripture, and to have entered into league with Hofea, King of Samaria, against ShalmannafJar, King of Affyria. At his abdication, Anyfis, ftill living in the fens, where he had fled for fhelter, refumed the government.

Sethon, the Prieft of Vulcan, fucceeded him on the throne, and not only neglected the military clafs, but fo injurioufly treated them, and divest ed them of their privileges and lands, that they refused to defend him and their country against the attempts of Sennacherib, King of Afyria, in full

march towards Pelufium, with a defign to invade Egypt. Upon which this King affembled a body of artificers, fhopkeepers, and labourers; and having animated this unexperienced multitude with an opinion that he was, in this manner, acting by the advice of an oracle, marched with the utmost expedition to Peluftum. And fo it happened, that, the very next night after his arrival in that city, an infinite number of field-rats entered the enemies camp, and gnawed their quivers, bow-ftrings, and fhield-ftraps to pieces: fo that the enemy was obliged to retire with precipitation, without coming to blows, agreeable to that of 2 Kings xix. 32.

This difguft of the military order, tho' it was not attended with any extraordinary effects for the prefent, providence having fought for the Egyptians at Pelufium, excited fuch divifions in the kingdom, That we find Egypt rent and divided among twelve competitors, after the death of Sethon, who entered into the strictest affociation for the public welfare. But this lafted only fifteen years, when Pfammitichus, of the tribe of Sais, being envied by the reft, and forced to defend his property by force of arms, which he had increased with commerce to Greece and Phoenicia, called in the affiftance of foreign powers, dethroned the eleven Kings, his affociates, and feized on the whole kingdom to himfelf.

From this time (the year of the flood 1678, before Chrift 670) the hiftory of Egypt begins to clear up from that impenetrable mift, with which it has been hitherto covered. For, from this revolution foreigners, efpecially the Grecians, being permitted to fettle in Egypt, they have given us a true, I may add, an exact hiftory of that nation. Pfammitichus, tho' he could not be accufed of injuftice, cruelty, or impiety towards their Gods, but had deferved well both of the ftate and the priefthood, was at last deserted by his own fubjects, who, to the number of 200,000 armed men, marched

A 2

off

off in a body, diffatisfied with the peculiar regard he always paid to foreigners in his army. The King ufed all the argutnents, that plaufible excufes and fair promises could advance, to reduce them to obedience, and engage them to defift from their refolution; but they rejected all, and fettled on the confines of Ethiopia.

However, this wife King was not long at a ftand how to repair this lofs. He opened his ports for all ftrangers, contrary to the referved maxims of his predeceffors; and strengthened himself with foreign alliances; being perfuaded that commerce would foon fill both his country and his coffers.

He reigned fifty-four years, and was fucceeded by his fon Nechus, whom the feripture calls Pharoah Necho. Who, purfuing his father's plan of policy, became a powerful Prince both by fea and land. He attempted to cut a canal from the Nile to the Red fea, which was left unfinished. But, turning his thoughts to warlike enterprizes, he built a fleet of gallies in the Mediterranean fea; and another in the ftreights of the Arabian gulph. And he carried his improvement in navigation to fuch a height, that his failors, who, by his direction, proceeded up on a difcovery of the African coafts, departed out of the Red fea, through the freights of Babel-mandel, fteered down the Eastern fhores of Afric, doubled the Cape of Good-Hope, coafted up northwards, and entered the Mediterranean, through the freights of Gibraltar, and fo returned into Egypt, in the courfe of three years, upwards of two thousand years before the like voyage was attempted by the modern navigators.

He also gained many laurels by land: He weakened the declining moarchy of Affyria; and defeated Fofab and his army, as they oppofed his march to the fiege of Carchemish, which he took, and reduced Syria to his obedience. In his return home, he feized Jehoabaz, who, upon the death of Jofiah, flain in battle, had affumed the royal dignity; put him in chains,

entered Jerufalem in a peaceable manner, and made Eliakim, whofe name he changed into Jehoiakim, King of Judah, on condition of paying a tribute of 100 talents of filver, and one talent of gold. But Nebuchadnezzar, having erected the Babylonian upon the ruins of the Affyrian monarchy, forced him, after a ftout refiftance, and terrible flaughter, to yield up all these acquifitions. It is fuppofed, that his warlike genius would not have let him put up with this affront, had not death cut him off, and put an end to his intentions: for it is certain, that, after this defeat, he entered into a confederacy with Jehoiakim, and made preparations for renewing the war with the Babylonians.

His fon Pfammis fucceeded to the crown of Egypt, but he was foon taken away in an expedition against the Ethiopians, and left the throne to his fon Apries.

Apries, who is called Pharaoh Ophra, in holy writ, was great and profperous at the firft, but grew infolent and miferable towards the conclufion of his reign. He was complimented, on his acceffion to the throne, by Zedekiah, King of Judah, and entered into an offenfive and defenfive league with him against the King of Babylon. But after Zedekiah had broke with Nebuchadnezzar and drawn him with a powerful army before Jerufalem, Apries deferted the caufe, withdrew into his own territories, and left his ally to the mercilefs rage of their enemies, in contempt of the most folemn engagements. For which we read his dreadful doom in Ezekiel xxix. 8,-12. XXX. 13. Jer. xliv. 30.

For a while he triumphed over the Tyrians, Sidonians, and Cypriots; but at last the wrath of God overtook him, and punished his perfidy with a violent death in this manner. He had engaged to protect the Lybians against the violence of the Cyrereans: But, being defeated by them with a great flaughter, the few, who escaped, fufpecting their King of a defign to have them all defreyed, that he might the better ty

rannize

rannize over the remainder of his fub jects without controul, not only deferted their colours, but ftirred up almost an universal defection; so that his crown was in danger. Apries fent one who was in great efteem with the people, and, as he thought, his own friend, named Amafis, to appease them. But, instead of reconciling them with Apries, he accepted of their offer of the crown, and prepared to make war upon his Sovereign. Apries then dif. patched one Patarbemis, the most confiderable of all the Egyptians, to the rebel camp, with orders, to bring 4mafis to him alive. But, he returning without being able to execute his orders, Apries commanded his nose and ears to be cut off. Which infolent and tyrannical behaviour compleated his ruin. For this was no fooner known, than all his loyal fubjects, deferted, and joined Amafis; who, finding himself in a capacity, gave him and his army of foreigners battle near Memphis, defeated him, took him prifoner, confined him in the palace of Sais, and at last, by the continual petition of his enraged people, delivered him into their hands, who fought his life, Jer. xliv. 30, who frangled him publickly.

Nebuchadnezzar laid hold of this juncture of affairs; and, during these inteftine broils and divifions, marched directly into Egypt, made a great flaughter of the Egyptians, put many of them in irons, and conquered the whole country; which made amends to his army, who had juft raised the fiege of Tyre, without fuccefs, after a thirteen years attempt against that city. See Ezekiel xxix. 18, 19. But it does not appear that Nebuchadnezzar chose to add Egypt to his other dominions, being content with the immenfe booty he carried off to Babylon,

Amafis, left now without a compe. tor for the throne, foon perceived that his fubjects began to repent of having raised him to be their Sovereign, on account of the meanness of his extraction, which they thought was not deferving of the refpect due to a King he ordered a golden ciftern, whofe ufe was to

wash the feet of his guests, to be cast into the image of a God, and set up in the most frequented part of the city. To which the Egyptians prefently paid due reverence and honour. He then called an affembly of the Egyptians, and acquainted them, That the God, they now worshipped, was made of the ver fel which had ferved for the meanett ufes; that his own cafe was the fame; formerly he had been a mean perfon; but, being now their King, he expec⚫ted and required to be honoured and obeyed as fuch.'

6

Amongt his works are reckoned. the great temple of is at Memphis; a coloffus of 75 feet long, lying on its back; and on the fame bafis, before the temple of Vulcan, two itatues, each twenty feet high, cut out of one flone, and ftanding on each fide of the great one.

But what is molt to be ad

mired, he removed a house, all of one ftone, to the temple of Minerva at Sais, whofe dimenfions were 21 cubits in front, 14 deep, and 8 high, from out to out, and 18 cubits, 12 and 5, within

He reigned 44 years, and left his Kingdom to his fon Pfammenitus, ready to be overthrown and conquered by Cambyfes, King of Perfia; who was making great preparations for an in. vafion at the time of Amafis's death, having, a little before, obliged the Cypriots to pay him tribute; and who may be faid to be the first conqueror of Cyprus.

Pfammenitus was fcarce feated on the throne, when Cambyfes appeared with a powerful army on the borders of Egypt, and took the ftrong town of Peluftum by the following ftratagem: He placed in the front of his army a great number of cats, dogs, and other animals, that were deemed facred by the Egyptians; and then attacked the city by ftorm, and took it without oppofition; the garrifon, which confifted entirely of Egyptians, not daring, through a fuperftitious fear, to throw a dart or shoot an arrow that way, left they fhould kill fome of thofe animal deities. By this time Pammenitus had raised

a nu