in the ifles, and on the coafts of Afia Minor. The bufinefs of their fettlement, and the care of defending themselves against the people of those countries, hindered them for fome time of thinking to cultivate letters. Yet they did not entirely neglect them. The fertility of the countries which they inhabited, foon procured them that ease and repose so favourable to arts and fciences, that there came from those countries the firft authors, who deserved, in every respect, to defcend to pofterity; authors whose works we cannot at this time too much admire *. It was from thefe colonies that letters repaffed into European Greece, and there began to banish barbarifm, which nevertheless fupported itself there a long time, and reigned to the age of those celebrated men, whom the Greeks honoured with the name of Sages, that is tó fay, to the times of Solon and Pififtratus. Homer, Herodotus, &c. See Les memoires de l'academie des infcriptions, tom. 7. memoires, p. 331. & 332. BOOK VOL. II. 290 воок IV. Commerce and Navigation. N treating of the origin of commerce and navigation in the first part of this work, it was neceffary to restrain ourselves to general views. An effect of the obfcurity which reigns over the hiftory of the ages which then fixed our attention; thofe at prefent in queftion will procure us more fatisfaction. One may enter into fome details on the ftate of commerce and navigation among many nations. In the account I am going to give, I shall obferve the chronological order and the fucceffion of facts, as much as poffible; it is for that reafon, I fhall first speak of the Egyptians. The maritime enterprifes of Sefostris are the most ancient we have any knowledge of in the times of which we now undertake to give the picture.. CHA P. I. Of the Egyptians. Said in the preceding volume, that the first inhabitants of Egypt had little inclination for commerce; I fhewed also, that they must have addicted themselves to navi gation only very lately. Policy and superstition opposed them. Sefoftris, who afcended the throne about 1659 years before Christ, filenced these motives, and banished thefe prejudices. This prince, whofe ambition knew no bounds, had propofed the conqueft of the universe, But it was difficult for him to undertake so vast a project with a See book 4. chap. 2. Diod. 1. 1. p. 63. b Supra, book 1. chap. 3. p. 11. out out a fleet. Rejecting therefore the principles which the kings his predeceffors had followed, with refpect to the marine, he equipped a very large fleet; it confifted, they fay, of 400 fail. If we believe the report of the authors of an. tiquity, these were the firft fhips of war that had been .feen. Before the Egyptians had only had weak barks, or even rafts, which ferved them to coaft about the borders of the Arabian gulf. It was likewife on this fea that Sefoftris made his fleet be builts. I am perfuaded, though the ancients do not fay fo, that to effect this he had recourfe to Phoenician workmen. It is equally probable, that the greatest part of the tackling which rigged thefe veffels, was got from the fame nation. By means of his fleet, Sefoftris made himfelf master of the greatest part of the maritime provinces, and the coafts of the Indian fea h. We do not fee that this prince is faid to have had fhips on the Mediterranean. Diodorus fays, it is true, that Sefoftris conquered the Cyclades i, But it is very probable that this expreffion fhould be underftood of fome ifles of the Indian fea, and not of those which the ancients knew under that name in the Mediterranean. The manner alone in which Diodorus expresses himself, is enough to fhew it *; especially, as neither he, nor Herodotus, fay in any other place, that Sefoftris had a fleet in the Mediterranean. The reign of this prince was a brilliant, but fhort epoch, for the marine among the Egyptians. In effect, it does not appear that the fucceffors of Sefoftris ever entered into his views, or continued his projects. The writers of antiquity do not mention any maritime enterprise undertaken in Egypt, in the ages we are at prefent running o dId. ibid. p. 64. f Plin. 1. 7. fect. 57. p. 417. h Herod. & Diod. locis cit. Herod. 1. 2. n. 102.; Diod. l. 1. p. 64. Thefe authors only speak of the Red fea; but it is known, that under that denomination, the ancients included all the space of fea which washes Afią to the fouth. i L. 1. p. 65. The name of Cyclades is a generical term, which may agree with many collections of ifles, Q02 ver. ver. The ancient manner of thinking, with respect to commerce and navigation, refumed its empire. Entirely taken up with the means of rendering the inland commerce of his kingdom very flourishing, Sefoftris wanted to have an eafy communication between the different provin ces of Egypt. With this view, he had caused many canals to be cut, which came from the Nile', and communicated with each other. By thus facilitating the tranfport of commodities, he had taken care that plenty fhould fpread itfelf over all his kingdom. These works fo proper to encourage commerce, yet could not infpire the Egyptians with a taste for it; they did not try to extend their com merce to any distance, nor to make with foreigners esta blishments capable of fupporting it; for I do not think one can refer to this end the different colonies which Cecrops and Danaus conducted from Egypt into Greece, about an hundred years after Sefoftris. We know that the chiefs of thefe new migrations kept up no relation with Egypt ". They ought then only to be looked upon as adventurers, who, difcontented with their lot, put themselves at the lead of a troop of vagabonds to go and feek their fortune in a foreign land. I alfo think that it had been with these fecond colonies as with the firft, that is to fay, that they made their paffage from Egypt into Greece in Phoenician bottoms ". The Egyptians continued to give very little access to ftrangers. The ports of Egypt, except that of Naucratis, remained always fhut. They were not opened till under the reign of Pfammeticus, that is to fay, more than 1000 years after Sefoftris. Although ancient Egypt was little given to commerce, the people notwithstanding enjoyed immenfe riches. They owed them to the exploits and the conquefts of their first fovereigns. Thefe princes had over-run and fubjected a great part of Afiar. Thefe wars were not unprofitable; Herod. 1. 2. n. 108. Diod. 1. 1. p. 66. m See Herod. 1. 2. n. 154. Diod. 1. 1. p. 78, "See Marfh. p. 139. & 115, P Id. ibid. p. 23. 24. & 56. Sefoftris Be Sefoftris got by his expeditions an immenfe booty. fides, he imposed considerable tributes of every fort on the nations he had conquered. They were even obliged to bring them to Egypt. The fucceffors of this prince imitated his example. Ancient infcriptions, which still subsisted in the times of Strabo and Tacitus, marked the weight of gold and of filver, the number of arms and of horses, the quantity of ivory and perfumes, of corn and other commodities that each nation was to pay. These tributes, by the report of Tacitus, equalled thofe which in his time the Parthians and even the Romans could demand from the people under their dominion ". It is not then surprising, that, in spite of their difinclination to commerce, ancient Egypt is faid to have enjoyed great opulence. By the conquefts of her first monarchs, she was become the centre or boundary of a great part of the riches of Afia. The superb monuments which these princes caused to be erected, the immenfe works which they undertook, fpread money over the nation, and circulated their treasures. Each private perfon profited by it, and might that way alone enrich himself readily enough. Befides, they were very luxurious in Egypt in early times. One may judge of this by the quantity of gold and filver vafes, the precious habits, &c. which the Ifraelites brought from that country when. they came out of it ×. I CHA P. II. Of the Phenicians. Have reserved for the ages which we are running over at prefent, many details relating to the commerce and navigation of the Phoenicians. It is in effect to this epoch, that most of the maritime enterprises which have rendered Diod. 1. 1, p. 64. & 65. • Ibid. p. 65. Ibid. p. 65. lbid. thefe |