Earl of Arundel, and are now kept in England, begin their chrono. logy with the founding of Athens, but place that event 26 years earlier, viz. 1582 B. C.

11. The successor of Cecrops was Cranaus. In his time happened the famous deluge of Deucalion, in Thessaly. The third king of Athens was Amphictyon, who founded the celebrated Amphictyonic council.*

§ The deluge of Deucalion owed much of its importance to the imaginations of the poets. It was probably only a partial inun

dation.

In the reign of Amphictyon, a famine occurred, during which Ericthonius, said to be the son of Vulcan, arrived from Egypt with a supply of corn, and taught the natives the art of Agriculture, for which he was raised to the throne in the room of Amphictyon.

12. Corinth, another of the Grecian states, was founded 1520 years B. C., but did not receive the name of Corinth till it was rebuilt, 1410 years B. C. It originally formed a part of the kingdom of Sicyon, and was afterwards included in that of Argos, till Sysyphus, some time in the following period, seized it for his possession.

13. Thebes, a state of Greece also, was founded by Cadmus. The city, though begun by him, was finished by Amphion and Zethus. He introduced letters into Greece, 1519 years B. C. Thebes he built a few years afterwards.

§ Cadmus is supposed to have been of Phoenician extraction. To him are ascribed 16 letters of the Greek alphabet. He thus essentially contributed to the literary distinction which Greece afterwards attained.

14. Lacedæmon, or Sparta, another distinguished state of Greece, was founded by Lelex, 1516 years B. C., but received its name from Lacedæmon, its fourth king. The government continued in the family of Lelex till the return of the Heraclidae to the Peloponnesus, an event to be noticed in the coming period.

§ Sparta was called after the name of the wife of Lacedæmon, the great grand-daughter of Lelex. Sparta properly belongs to the metropolis-Lacedæmon to the kingdom at large. The Peloponnesus, in which Lacedæmon was situated, was the southern part of Greece.

EGYPT.

15. The events in EGYPTIAN history, during the present epoch, refer chiefly to Nitocris and Sesostris, the one a fe

* See General Views.

male, the other a male sovereign. Nitocris began to reign over Egypt, 1678 years B. C., at Memphis. She afterwards united some other sovereignties to her dominions.

The period when Sesostris began to reign cannot be easily fixed; some place it before that of Nitocris, but others place it after her reign.

The names of a few other kings appear, but little is known concerning their reigns. The successor of Sesostris is said to have been Pheron, and some think that Rameses-Tubaete was the king whose dreams Joseph interpreted.

Nitocris succeeded her brother, an Ethiopian, who was murdered by the Egyptians, and meditating revenge for his untimely fate, put many of her subjects to death privately, and afterwards contrived a building under ground whither she deluded the chief objects of her vengeance to a feast, and, in the midst of their mirth, overwhelmed them with destruction, by turning a river upon them through a secret passage. She then eluded the rage of the populace by taking refuge in a place well fortified with ashes. Her person is said to have been extremely beautiful, but her disposition was cruel. Sesostris was the most distinguished of all the Egyptian kings, and almost the only conqueror among them. Historians relate that his father was warned by Vulcan, in a dream, concerning the future conquests of his son, and that, in consequence of this dream, he got together all the males born in Egypt on the same day with the prince, and had them nursed and brought up with him, upon the presumption that, being the companions of his youth, they would prove the most devoted warriors and faithful counsellors.

Sesostris forming the design of conquering the world, set out with an army of 600,000 foot, 24,000 horse, and 27,000 armed chariots. His conquests were extensive, and he returned home laden with the spoils of various subjugated nations, and followed by a surprising number of captives. He rendered his power highly advantageous to his subjects, by enriching their country with useful works, and magnificent edifices.

His behaviour, however, was grossly insolent to the kings and chiefs of the conquered nations, who waited upon him to present their tribute. He is said to have caused those princes, four abreast, to be harnessed to his car, instead of horses, that they might draw him to the temple.

In his old age he lost his sight, and then was so weak and wicked as to lay violent hands on himself.

CHINA.

16. The second dynasty of the CHINESE emperors commenced during this period, 1766 years B. C. It lasted 656 years, under 30 emperors. Like the first dynasty, it was terminated by the vices of the last of them.

Ching-tang was the founder of this dynasty. He is said to have had the most excellent qualities. His modesty was almost unparalleled he was the only person in the empire who thought he was unfit for so important a trust. He was often on the point of resigning his crown, but his nobles would not consent to it.

Tayvre, one of his successors, being once terrified by a prodigy, which made him apprehensive of a revolution, received the following impressive lesson from his minister. "Virtue has the power of triumphing over presages. If you govern your subjects with equity, you will be beyond the reach of misfortune."

Vuthing, another prince of this dynasty, after having for three years implored heaven to bless him with such virtues as were suitable to his station, is said to have seen, in a dream, a man represented by heaven to be his prime minister, whose features he well recollected when he awoke.

Causing the man to be sought for, such a person was found in the condition of an obscure mason, working in a village, whence he was brought to court. Being questioned on a variety of points concerning government, he returned answers marked with so much wisdom as excited the highest surprise.

The king, addressing him in a very proper manner, immediately appointed him his prime minister, and received the greatest benefit from his prudent and skilful administration of government.

Distinguished characters in Period III.

J. Abraham, the immediate progenitor of the Hebrew nation.

2. Melchisedec, king of Salem, and "priest of the Most High God."

3. Sesostris, an Egyptian hero and conqueror.

4. Joseph, the chief ruler of Egypt under Pharaoh.

5. Cecrops, the founder of Athens.

6. Cadmus, a Phoenician, who built Thebes, and introduced letters into Greece.

1. Abraham was the son of Terah, and born in Chaldea. He was 75 years of age when his father died. After this event he was commanded by God to enter upon the land of Canaan, which God promised to give unto his posterity. In the year following, a famine in the land of Canaan forced Abraham with his family to go into Egypt.

In the same year, Abraham, with his nephew Lot, returned unto Canaan. They however parted at length, because the land was insufficient for both of their flocks. Lot went to Sodom-Abraham removed to Hebron. God blessed Abraham, and the promise of a posterity was confirmed to him again and again.

In the 100th year of his age, Isaac, his son, was born to him, after his expectation had been long delayed. Passing through various

scenes of life, he was at length called to the severe trial of offering up his son Isaac at the command of the Deity All his lofty hopes were reposed in that son, yet he hesitated not to execute the divine behest.

Just at the moment, however, in which he stretched forth his hand, to take the life of his son, God interposed, and satisfied with Abraham's intention, accepted that in room of the deed, rescuing Isaac and commending the faith of the patriarch. Abraham died at the age of 175 years.

2. Little is known of Melchisedec. When Abraham was returning from the destruction of Chedorlaomer and his confederates, Melchisedec met and blessed him. The scriptural account is the following: "And Melchisedec, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the Most High God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth. And he (Abraham) gave him tithes of all."

The apostle says, in his epistle to the Hebrews, "Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils."

3. Sesostris was a king of Egypt. His age is so remote from every authentic record, that many have supposed that the actions and conquests ascribed to this monarch are wholly uncertain and fabulous. The amount of what has come down respecting him, as has already appeared in part, is the following. When he ascended the throne, he became ambitious of military fame, and accordingly, at the head of a numerous army, he proceeded to make the conquest of the world.

He subdued the most of Asia, and even invaded Europe, bringing the Thracians into subjection; and, that the fame of his conquests might long survive him, he placed columns in the subjugated provinces; and, many ages after, this pompous inscription was read in several parts of Asia: "Sesostris, the king of kings, has conquered this territory by his arms."

At his return home, the monarch employed his time in encouraging the fine arts, improving the revenues of his kingdom, erecting temples, building cities, and digging canals. He committed suicide when he had become old and infirm, after reigning 44 years. His era was 1722 years B. C.

4. Joseph is celebrated in sacred history, and no one's life was more eventful in itself, or has been described with greater felicity than his has been, in scripture. It is unnecessary to say over again what has been said respecting this eminent person, especially since the reference to scripture is so easy, and the reader who once begins the story of Joseph, can seldom feel disposed to leave it until it be finished. The triumph of innocence, and the success of piety, in this instance, show the care of God over good men, and may well lead them to put their confidence more and more in

him.

5. Cecrops was a native of Egypt. He led a colony to At

tica, and reigned over part of the country. He married the daughter of a Grean prince, and was deemed the first founder of Athens. He taught his subjects to cultivate the olive, and was the first who raised an altar to Jupiter, in Greece, and offered him sacrifices.

After a reign of 50 years, spent in regulating his newly formed Lingdom, and in polishing the minds of his subjects, Cecrops died, and was succeeded by Cranaus, a native of the country.

6. Cadmus was a Phoenician. He laid the foundation of Thebes. This fact is very much invested with fable, which needs not to be detailed. If Thebes, according to some, sprang up at the sound of Amphion's lyre, i. e. by encouraging the workmen, still Cadmus built a citadel which he called Cadmea, and thus formed the com mencement of a city.

Cadmus was the first who introduced the use of letters into Greece, though some maintain that the same alphabet was in existence among the native inhabitants. This alphabet consisted only of 16 letters, to which 8 were afterwards added. The worship of several of the Egyptian and Phoenician deities was also introduced by Cadmus. His era is reckoned to be 1519 years B. C.

PERIOD IV.

The Period of the Trojan War, extending from the de parture of the Israelites from Egypt, 1491 years B. C. to the dedication of Solomon's temple, 1004 years B. C. ISRAELITES. 987

SECTION 1. The history of the ISRAELITES at this era assumes a very marked character. Oppressed by the Egyptian monarch, they cried unto God for deliverance, and a divine deliverance they experienced.

Moses, selected as the instrument of saving his countrymen, was in due time called to his work; and, after a series of miracles, which he performed by the divine assistance, he led the people out from before Pharaoh, into the borders of the pro

mised land.

The consequence to many of the Egyptians was their destruction; for Pharaoh and his army pursuing the Israelites through the Red Sea, were overwhelmed with its waters.

After wandering in the wilderness 40 years, and frequently rebelling against God, the Israelites were conducted by the hand of Moses in sight of Canaan, when he died, without entering it himself, 1447 years B. C.