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independently of its divine origin, contains more fimplicity and beauty, more pure morality, more important history, and finer ftrains of poetry and eloquence, than can be collected from all other books, in whatever age or language they may have been compofed."

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CHAPTER V.

The History of Grecce.

GREECE, called by the antient inhabitants Hellas, was fcarcely half fo large as England. It had natural advantages of foil and climate, which influenced the manners, as well as the political inftitutions of its inhabitants. Some attention to the geography of this interefting country will throw great light upon its mythology, and many parts of its history. The fea nearly furrounded its winding fhores, except where it borders upon Epirus and Macedonia. Theffaly was the moft northern pro, vince, confifting of an extenfive and rich valley, completely furrounded by lofty mountains. Olympus divides it from Macedonia; Pindus forms the western boundary of Theffaly, and Eta the fouthern. Between the foot of mount Eta and the fea, is the famed pafs of Thermopylae, the only way on the eastern fide by which the fouthern provinces can be entered. The tract reaching from Epirus and Theffaly to the Ifthmus of Corinth contains the provinces of Acarnania, Ætolia, Doris, Locris, Phocis, Boeotia, and Attica. Boeotia confifted of a rich vale, watered by many streams and lakes, and famed for the mountains Parnaffus, Helicon, Citheron, and Parnes. The two latter formed the

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northern

northern boundary of Attica, which was a rocky province, producing little corn or grafs, but abundantly fertile in various fruits, particularly olives and figs.

Southward of this tract of country lies the peninfula of Peloponnefus, inacceffible by land, except across the Baotian or Attic mountains. The peninsula contains Achaia, Argolis, Elis, Arcadia, Meffenia, and Laconia. The vale of Argos was remarkable for its fruitfulness; Achaia is a narrow flip of country on the northern coaft, bounded by a chain of mountains from Corinth to Dyme. Elis and Meffenia are lefs mountainous than the other provinces; the latter is level and well adapted to agriculture. The climate of Greece is genial and mild, and the foil in many places fertile. The extenfive range of coaft abounds with excellent harbours. The lower country afforded rich meadows; the higher, corn, wine, and oil; and of the mountains, fome were covered with woods, others contained the fineft marbles, and fome contained valuable metals.

Such is the appearance of the country, which, according to the moft authentic records of hiftory, was made in very early times a fettlement of co

i This account of the History of Greece is taken from Herodotus, Thucydides, Polybius, and Plutarch; the Travels of Anacharfis, the History of Greece by Mitford and Gillies, De Pauw, and Tytler's Elements of General History.

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lonifts from Egypt and Phenicia, who, mixing with the natives, built towns, and formed feveral communities independent of each other. These eaftern emigrants brought with them many traditions, which, being afterwards blended with early Grecian hiftory, became the copious fources of mythology. The various inventions and arts, which they introduced among the original inhabitants of Greece, contributed to augment their comforts, and civilize their manners. And as in the general outlines of their religion, government, and arts, the fimilarity of the political and religious inftitutions of the Eaft may be traced, Greece furnishes us with an internal evidence of the origin of her colonists.

In the early period of this hiftory there is fo great a mixture of Eaftern with Grecian ftories, and fo much confufion of chronology extending through a long feries of oral traditions, that an attempt to feparate truth from falfehood is as arduous as it is fruitlefs. Fully fenfible of this difficulty, and defirous of removing it by a pleafing, although an imperfect expedient, Thucydides and Strabo, who are both remarkable for their accuracy and judgment, have confidered Homer in the light of an Hiftorian. That their confidence in the truth of the narrative parts of his Poems was not improperly placed, will appear

* Thucydides, vol. i. p. 7, 16, 18. Edit. Bipont. Strabo, lib. ii. p. 774.

from

from confidering, that in the rude ages of fociety the fong of the Bard was the only record of paft events; and although many of his defcriptions may be fanciful, yet fome regard to truth, fome reprefentation of events and actions which really took place, muft have been the ground of the early reputation of the Iliad and Odyffey. The connexion, clearnefs, and confiftency of many anecdotes preferved in them, appear very great, when compared with the dark and uncertain traditions of thofe early ages. The finished picture of primeval inftitutions and manners, in the delineation of which Homer defcends to many minute particulars, is no less pleafing than fatisfactory. He gives a complete view of the religion, government, and arts of his countrymen at the time of the Trojan war, which took place at the very remote period of more than eleven centuries before the Christian era'. A ftrong argument in favour of his fidelity may be drawn from the accuracy of his geographical defcriptions, which have been verified by the actual obfervation of many intelligent and inquifitive travellers. And it may incline us more readily to concur with Thucydides and Strabo in thinking, that he truly records the leading facts, and fairly reprefents the state of manners, at the time of the Trojan, war, if we recollect, that in the unaffected energy of his descriptions, and his account of the fimplicity of ancient manners, he agrees very remarkably with the writers of the Old

1 Homer flourished B. C. 907 years,
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Teftament,

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