arts and government of OSIRIS. He will liften with attention to the philofophical precepts and dark oracles of the priefts; he will investigate the long records of lunar years, and unveil the mysterious system of astronomy, and frame of nature, with much labour and toil. He will vifit their public edifices, and the palaces of their kings, with admiration ; and behold the temples of their gods with reverential regard. Those ftupendous works of antiquity, which still exist there, can by no means escape the prying curiofity of his foul, or the careful diligence of his enquiries. He will view the pyramids and mausoleums, which have been preserved entire through a long courfe of centuries, the wonder of the world, with speculations of a moral kind. He will look upon them, as erected by the most powerful přinces of the earth for a memorial of their pride to future ages, and as intended rather for an amazing spectacle to the living, than as places of repofe to the dead. He will confider, that the founders of those monuments clofed up the laft fcene of their falfe greatness, in life, by raising these altars to their vanity; and gave in death an example to mankind of the extreme littleness of mortal arrogance, by mingling their own duft with fo poor a share of that earth, which once was not fufficient to contain them.

The next period of thy journey leads thee into Greece, a country very different from that of Egypt, both in the qualities of its climate, and the manners of its people. Inftead of the splendor and magnificence, which appears in the cities of the latter, thou wilt find a general turn to parfimony and frugality among the inhabitants of the former. Instead of the peace and unanimity, which exifts under a monarchical government, the popular frame of the Grecian republics is continually fhaken by domeftic faction. Athens, through the extent and abundance of her trade, the industry and conomy of her people, the wisdom and courage of the great

men fhe has produced, hath for many years borne the principal sway in their counfels. But the states of Peloponnefus, fomewhat envious of her authority, have at length determined to destroy it. A violent peftilence, and a ftrong oppofition to the measures of PERICLES, their chief adviser in this war, are at the same time broke out among the citizens. PɛRICLES, with no other restraint on the caprice of his countrymen, than what his own difcretion can command, withfrands the clamours of party, and the ftouteft efforts of fedition. However, he cannot hold it long; for I eafily conjecture, from the prefent posture of affairs, that his enemies will never leave him, till they have wrefted the reins of power from his hands. But more of this, when I fhall enjoy the honour of thy company and converfation in the town of of Athens, which is the place of my refidence and bufinefs.

In the mean time give me leave to fay, that I wish the improvement thou receiveft from thy travels, may be equal to thy laudable thirst after knowledge: at least I know the result of them will, one day, be applied to the glory and security of our fovereign and the Perfian empire. Thus, inftead of meanly depending on the noble actions of thy anceftors, as the only merit thou canft boaft, thy reputation will be as much fuperior to theirs, as thy virtues are superior. By this means thou wilt reflect a luftre on the fame of thy fathers; thou wilt become an honour to thyself and family; an ornament and service to thy friends and thy country. Adieu

C.

I had almost forgotten to tell thee, that by the goodness of the king I am permitted to retire to Salamis, during the infection of the plague.

THY accounts of the marriage at ECBATANA, and thankf giving facrifice on the hills of Sufa, were so kindly and agreeably written, that I should appear inexcufably negligent in the cultivation of that friendship, which I esteem an honour to my character, if I fuffered a want of equal materials to plead my excufe for not answering them. It is needless to trouble thee with a long relation of the diftrefs of the Athenians, fince, befides the exact information thou haft already met with, I am afraid it would prove a very melancholy return to the pleafing cheerfulness of thy letters. But if pleafures of a private nature, in which thy friend is concerned, can add any thing to the fatisfaction thou receiveft from thofe of a public one, I will give thee a defcription of my retirement into Salamis, during the contagion of the plague; and the manner in which I employ my leisure hours. My old patron PHILEMON, through a laudable zeal in the fervice of his country, refolves to abide in the city, though at the peril of his own life. In the mean while, he has entrusted me with the charge of his family, and has fent us to his country-feat in this place, which is fituated but a few furlongs from the coaft of Attica.

Salamis is a fmall island of about two hundred and twenty ftadia in circumference, remarkable for a complete victory gained over the fleet of XERXES by the conduct of THE MISTOCLES. It contains within that little compass a most furprizing variety of hills and vales, rocks and plains, rivers

and meadows, fruitful fields and fpacious lawns. These are diversified with many beautiful villas, belonging to the principal citizens and magiftrates of the town of Athens. Several plantations of fruit and forest trees, all strangers to the foil and climate of Perfia, are here cultivated by the skill of the careful inhabitant, and contribute in a great measure to the romantic air and confufion of the landscape. On the fummit of a lofty mountain, in the very middle of the island, you are prefented with the nobleft and most extenfive profpect in the world. One view to the north, (to fay nothing of the pleasant country lying at your feet) commands Megara and Athens, with the ships in the Piræean harbour, through a confiderable tract of land into the territories of Boeotia. Towards the fouth, the cities of Argos, Mycena, and Epidaurus rife full before your eyes. To the eaft, you are foon ftruck with those numerous ifles, called the Cyclades, which

appear like so many pointed rocks difperfed over the Ægean fea; and to the west, you survey the Ifthmus, with the stately buildings of Corinth. The house and gardens of my friend are plain and homely, unadorned with the pride of eaftern magnificence, and improved by the Attic elegance of their owner. I frequently compare them with thofe of Alcinous in the Grecian Homer; and find the fame fimplicity in both, free from the falfe ornament and pomp of luxury. My time has of late been a good deal taken up (when the business of the king would permit me) in the perufal of the Grecian poets and historians. As thy curiofity will perhaps make thee defirous of being acquainted with their names and writings, I will fill this dispatch with the clearest account I have been able to obtain of them.

For this purpose I fhall begin with thofe, who have done most honour to the art of poetry; fince it was originally the chief vehicle, by which the knowledge of government, religion, or philofophy was conveyed to the dark underftand

ings of mankind. The first founders of the fabulous theology are uncertain. LINUS, ORPHEUS, and MUSEUS are remembered with fome general marks of esteem, even in thefe ages of Greece. But their history is too uncertain and fictitious to bear a serious relation. We must descend therefore immediately to HOMER, who was at once the first and greatest poet of antiquity. The fubject of his admired performance is the fiege of Troy, and the adventures of the Grecian heroes, particularly of ULYSSES, on their returning, after a long abfence, to their native kingdoms. He is faid to have flourished between two and three hundred years after the deftruction of that potent empire; and the Greeks retain fuch an high veneration for his memory, that many towns ftill contend for the honour of his birth. Smyrna carries the faireft title of them all; in confidence whereof the has erected a temple to his name, and the people worship him with the facred rites of adoration. Confider him in his pcrfon and fortune, he is reprefented as a ftrolling indigent bard. Confider him in the qualities of his mind, poffeffed of every natural and acquired endowment human nature is capable of, it is impoffible to refuse him that reverence and regard, which is so justly due to the "father of the Grecian poets." At the fame time I cannot be of their opinion, who afcribe the rife of all military and civil policy, religion and learning, to the genius of HOMER. It is enough to tranfinit his praife to the latest pofterity, that the warmth and spirit of his expreffion is equal to the strength and loftinefs of his thought, and the boldness of his imagination to the fertility of it. To this give me leave to add, that the beauty and contrivance of his fables, the music and variety of his numbers, and the regular compofition of the whole, have raised the dignity of epic poetry in its infancy, if not at its very birth, to an inimitable period of perfection; infomuch that futurity shall wonder, without being able to arrive at it. HESIOD was a native of Cuma in Ætolia, and re