2234 The celestial obfervations are begun at Babylon, the city which firft gave birth to learning and the fciences.

2188 Mifraim, the fon of Ham, founds the kingdom of Egypt, which lafted 1663 years, down to the conqueft of Cambyfes, in 525 before Chrift.

2059 Ninus, the fon of Belus, founds the kingdom of Affyria, which lafted above 1000 years, and out of its ruins were formed the Affyrians of Babylon, those of Nineveh, and the kingdom of the Medes.

1921 The covenant of God made with Abram, when he leaves Haran to go into Canaan, which begins the 430 years of fojourning.

1897 The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed for their wickedness, by fire from Heaven.

1856 The kingdom of Argos, in Greece, begins under Inachus.

1822 Memnon, the Egyptian, invents the letters.

1715 Prometheus firft ftruck fire from flints.

1635 Jofeph dies in Egypt, which concludes the book of Genefis, containing a period of 2:69 years.

1574 Aaron born in Egypt: 1490, appointed by God first high-priest of the Ifraelites. 1571 Mofes, brother to Aaron, born in Egypt, and adopted by Pharaoh's daughter, who educates him in all the learning of the Egyptians.

1556 Cecrops brings a colony of Saites from Egypt into Attica, and begins the kingdom of Athens, in Grecce.

1546 Scamander comes from Crete into Phrygia, and begins the kingdom of Troy. 1493 Cadmus carried the Phoenician letters into Greece, and built the citadel of Thebes. 1491 Mofes performs a number of miracles in Egypt, and departs from that kingdom,

together with 600,000 Ifraclites, befides children; which completed the 430 years of fojourning. They miraculously pafs through the Red Sea,' and come to the defert of Sinai, where Mofes receives from God, and delivers to the people, the Ten Commandments, and the other laws, and fets up the tabernacle, and in it the Ark of the 'covenant.

1485 The firit thip that appeared in Greece was brought from Egypt by Danaus, who arrived at Rhodes, and brought with him his fifty daughters.

1453 The first Olympic games celebrated at Olympia, in Greece.

1452 The Pentateuch, or five firft books of Mofes, are written in the land of Moab, where he died the year following, aged 110.

1451 The Ifraelites, after fojourning in the wilderness forty years, are led under Joshua into the land of Canaan, where they fix themselves, after having fubdued the natives; and the period of the fabbatical year commences.

1406 Iron is found in Greece from the accidental burning of the woods.

1198 The rape of Helen by Paris, which, in 1193, gave rife to the Trojan war, and fiege of Troy by the Greeks, which continued ten years, when that city was

taken and burnt.

1048 David is fole king of Ifrael.

1004 The Temple is folemnly dedicated by Solomon.

896 Elijah, the prophet, is tranflated to Heaven.

894 Money first made of gold and filver at Argos.

869 The city of Carthage, in Africa, founded by queen Dido.

824 The kingdom of Macedon begins.

753 Era of the building of Rome in Italy by Romulus, first king of the Romans.

720 Samaria taken, after three years fiege, and the kingdom of Ifrael finished, by Salmanafar, king of Affyria, who carries the ten tribes into captivity.

The firft eclipfe of the moon on record.

658 Byzantium (now Conftantinople) built by a colony of Athenians.

604 By order of Necho, kirg of Egypt, fome Phoenicians failed from the Red Sea round Africa, and returned by the Mediterranean.

600 Thales, of Miletus, travels into Egypt, confults the priests of Memphis, acquires the knowledge of geometry, aftronomy, and philofophy; returns to Greece, calculates eclipfes, gives general notions of the universe, and maintains that one Supreme Intelligence regulates all its motions.

600 Maps,

600 Maps, globes, and the figns of the Zodiac, invented by Anaximander, the scholar

of Thales.

597 Jehoiakin, king of Judah, is carried away captive, by Nebuchadnezzar, to Babylon.

587 The city of Jerufalem taken, after a fiege of 18 months.

562 The first comedy at Athens acted upon a moveable scaffold.

559 Cyrus the first king of Perfia.

538 The kingdom of Babylon finished; that city being taken by Cyrus, who, in 536, iffues an edict for the return of the Jews.

534 The first tragedy was acted at Athens, on a waggon, by Thefpis.

526 Learning is greatly encouraged at Athens, and a public library firft founded. 515 The fecond Temple at Jerufalem is finished under Darius.

509 Tarquin the feventh and laft king of the Romans, is expelled, and Rome is verned by two confuls, and other republican magiftrates, till the battle of Pharfalia, being a space of 461 years.

504 Sardis taken and burnt by the Athenians, which gave occafion to the Perfian invafion of Greece.

486 Efchylus, the Greek poet, first gains the prize of tragedy.

481 Xerxes the Great, king of Perfia, begins his expedition against Greece.

458 Ezra is fent from Babylon to Jerufalem, with the captive Jews, and the veffels of gold and filver, &c. being feventy weeks of years, or 490 years before the crucifixion of our Saviour.

454 The Romans fend to Athens for Solon's laws.

451 The Decemvirs created at Rome, and the laws of the twelve tables compiled and ratified.

430 The history of the Old Teftament finishes about this time.

Malachi the laft of the prophets.

400 Socrates, the founder of moral philofophy among the Greeks, believes the immor tality of the foul, and a state of rewards and punishments, for which, and other fublime doctrines, he is put to death by the Athenians, who foon after repent, and erect to his memory a ftatue of brafs.

331 Alexander the Great, king of Macedon, conquers Darius king of Perfia, and other nations of Afia. 323, Dies at Babylon, and his empire is divided by his generals into four kingdoms.

285 Dionyfius, of Alexandria, began his aftronomical æra on Monday, June 26, being the first who found the exact folar year to confift of 365 Days, 5 hours, and 49

minutes.

284 Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt. employs feventy-two interpreters to tranflate the Old Teftament into the Greek language, which is called the Septuagint.

269 The first coining of filver at Rome.

264 The firft Punic war begins, and continues 23 years. The chronology of the Arundelian marbles compofed.

260 The Romans first concern themfelves in naval affairs, and defeat the Carthaginians at fea..

237 Hamilcar, the Carthaginian, caufes his fon Hannibal, at nine years old, to fwear

eternal enmity to the Romans.

218 The fecond Punic war begins, and continues 17 years. Hannibal paffes the Alps, and defeats the Romans in feveral battles; but, being amused by his women, does not improve his victories by the ftorming of Rome.

190 The first Roman army enters Afia, and from the fpoils of Antiochus brings the Afiatic luxury first to Rome.

168 Perfeus defeated by the Romans, which ends the Macedonian kingdom.

167 The first library erected at Rome, of books brought from Macedonia.

163 The government of Judea under the Maccabees begins, and continues 126 years. 146 Carthage, the rival to Rome, is razed to the ground by the Romans.

135 The hiftory of the Apocrypha ends.

52 Julius Cæfar makes his firft expedition into Britain.

47 The battle of Pharfalia between Cæfar and Pompey, in which the latter is defeated.

The Alexandrian library, confifting of 400,000 valuable books, burnt by accident, 45 The war of Africa, in which Cato kills himself.

The folar year introduced by Cæfar.

44 Cæfar, the greateft of the Roman conquerors, after having fought fifty pitched battles, and flain 1,192,000 men, and overturned the liberties of his country, is killed in the fenate-house.

35 The battle of Actium fought, in which Mark Antony and Cleopatra are totally defeated by Octavius, nephew to Julius Cæfar.

30 Alexandria, in Egypt, is taken by Octavius, upon which Antony and Cleopatra put themselves to death, and Egypt is reduced to a Roman province.

27 Octavius, by a decree of the fenate, obtains the title of Auguftus Cæfar, and an abfolute exemption from the laws, and is properly the first Roman emperor.

8 Rome at this time is fifty miles in circumference, and contains 463,000 men fit to bear arms.

A. C.

12

27

33

The temple of Janus is fhut by Auguftus as an emblem of univerfal peace, and JESUS CHRIST is born on Monday, December 25.

difputes with the doctors in the Temple;

is baptized in the Wilderness by John;

is crucified on Friday, April 3, at 3 o'clock P. M.

His Refurrection on Sunday, April 5: his Afcenfion, Thursday, May 14. 36 St. Paul converted.

39 St. Matthew writes his Gofpel.

Pontius Pilate kills himself.

40 The name of Chriftians firft given at Antioch to the followers of Christ. 43 Claudius Cæfar's expedition into Britain.

44 St. Mark writes his Gofpel.

49 London is founded by the Romans; 368, furrounded by ditto with a wall, fome parts of which are still obfervable.

51 Caractacus, the British king, is carried in chains to Rome.

52 The council of the Apoftles at Jerufalem.

55 St. Luke writes his Golpel.

59 The emperor Nero puts his mother and brothers to death.

-

perfecutes the Druids in Britain.

61 Boadicea, the British queen, defeats the Romans; but is conquered foon after by Suetonius, governor of Britain.

62 St. Paul is fent in bonds to Rome--writes his Epiftles between 51 and 65. 63 The Acts of the Apostles written.

Chriftianity is fuppofed to be introduced into Britain by St. Paul, or fome of his difciples, about this time.

64 Rome fet on fire, and burned for fix days; upon which began (under Nero) the first perfeation against the Chriftians.

67 St. Peter and St. Paul put to death.

70 Whilft the factious Jews are deftroying one another with mutual fury, Titus, the Roman general, takes Jerufalem, which is razed to the ground, and the plough made to pass over it.

83 The philofophers expelled Rome by Domitian.

85 Julius Agricola, governor of South Britain, to protect the civilized Britons from the incurfions of the Caledonians, builds a line of forts between the rivers Forth and Clyde; defeats the Caledonians under Galgacus on the Grampian hills; and firft fails round Britain, which he discovers to be an island.

96 St. John the Evangelift wrote his Revelation-his Gospel in 97.

121 The Caledonians reconquer from the Romans all the fouthern parts of Scotland; upon which the emperor Adrian builds a wall between Newcastle and Carlile; but this alfo proving ineffectual, Pollius Urbicus, the Roman general, about the year 144, repairs Agricola's forts, which he joins by a wall four yards thick.

135 The fecond Jewish war ends, when they were all banished Judæa.

139 Justin

39 Juftin writes his firft Apology for the Chriftians. 141 A number of herefies appear about this time.

152 The emperor Antoninus Pius ftops the perfecution against the Chriftians. 217 The Septuagint faid to be found in a cask.

222 About this time the Roman empire begins to fink under its own weight. The Barbarians begin their irruptions, and the Goths have annual tribute not to mo

left the empire.

260 Valerius is taken prifoner by Sapor, king of Perfia, and flayed alive.

274 Silk firit brought from India: the manufactory of it introduced into Europe by fome monks, 551: first worn by the clergy in England, 1534,

291 Two emperors, and two Cæfars, march to defend the four quarters of the empire. 3c6 Conftantine the Great begins his reign.

308 Cardinals firft began.

313 The tenth perfecution ends by an edict of Conftantine, who favours the Christians, and gives full liberty to their religion

314 Three bishops, or fathers, are fent from Britain to affift at the council of Arles. 325 The firft general council at Nice, when 318 fathers attended, against Arius, where was compofed the famous Nicene Creed, which we attribute to them.

328 Conftantine removes the feat of empire from Rome to Byzantium, which is thence forwards called Conftantinople.

331

orders all the heathen temples to be destroyed.

363 The Roman emperor Julian, furnamed the Apoftate, endeavours in vain to rebuild the temple of Jerufalem.

364 The Roman empire is divided into the eaftern (Conftantinople the capital) and weitern (of which Rome continued to be the capital) each being now under the government of different emperors.

400 Bells invented by bishop Paulinus, of Campagnia.

404 The kingdom of Caledonia, or Scotland, revives under Fergus.

405 The Vandals, Alans, and Suevi, fpread into France and Spain, by a conceffion of Honorius, emperor of the Weft.

410 Rome taken and plundered by Alaric, king of the Vifi-Goths.

412 The Vandals begin their kingdom in Spain.

420 The kingdom of France begins upon the Lower Rhine, under Pharamond.

426 The Romans, reduced to extremities at home, withdraw their troops from Britain, and never return; advifing the Britons to arm in their own defence, and truit to their own valour.

446 The Britons, now left to themselves, are greatly harafied by the Scots and Picts, upon which they once more make their complaint to the Romans, but receive no afitance from that quarter.

447 Attila (furnamed the Scourge of God) with his Huns, ravages the Roman empire. 449 Vortigern, king of the Britons, invites the Saxons into Britain, against the Scots

and Picts.

455 The Saxons having repulfed the Scots and Picts, invite over more of their countrymen, and begin to establish themselves in Kent, under Hengift.

476 The western empire is finished, 523 years after the battle of Pharfalia; upon the ruins of which feveral new itates arife in Italy and other parts, confifting of Goths, Vandals, Huns, and other Barbarians, under whom literature is extinguished, and the works of the learned are deftroyed.

496 Clovis, king of France, baptized, and Christianity begins in that kingdom. 508 Prince Arthur begins his reign over the Britons.

513 Conftantinople befieged by Vitalianus, whofe fleet is burned by a speculum of

brafs.

516 The computing of time by the Chriftian æra is introduced by Dionyfius the monk. 529 The code of Juftinian, the eastern emperor, is published.

557 A terrible plague all over Europe, Asia, and Africa, which continues near 50

years.

581 Latin ceafed to be spoken about this time in Italy.

596 Augufline the monk comes into England with forty monks.

606 Here

6c6 Here begins the power of the popes, by the conceffions of Phocas, emperor of the

eaft.

622 Mahomet, the falfe prophet, flies from Mecca to Medina, in Arabia, in the 44th year of his age, and 10th of his miniftry, when he laid the foundation of the Saracen empire, and from whom the Mahometan princes to this day claim their defcent. His followers compute their time from this æra, which in Arabic is called Hegira, i. e. the Flight.

637 Jerufalem is taken by the Saracens, or followers of Mahomet.

640 Alexandria in Egypt is taken by ditto, and the grand library there burnt by order of Omar their caliph or prince.

653 The Saracens now extend their conquefts on every fide, and retaliate the barbarities of the Goths and Vandals upon their pofterity.

664 Glafs invented in England by Benalt, a mork.

685 The Britons, after a brave firuggle of near 150 years, are totally expelled by the Saxons, and driven into Wales and Cornwall.

713 The Saracens conquer Spain.

726 The controversy about images begins, and occafions many infurrections in the eaftern empire.

748 The computing of years from the birth of Chrift began to be used in history. 749 The race of Abbas became caliphs of the Saracens, and encourage learning. 762 The city of Bagdad upon the Tigris is made the capital for the caliphs of the houfe of Abbas.

800 Charlemagne, king of France, begins the empire of Germany, afterwards called the western empire; gives the prefent names to the winds and months; endeavours to reflore learning in Europe; but mankind are not yet difpofed for it, being folely engroffed in military enterprizes.

826 Harold, king of Denmark, dethroned by his fubjects, for being a Chriftian. 828 Egbert, king of Weffex, unites the Heptarchy, by the name of England. 836 The Flemings trade to Scotland for fifh.

838 The Scots and Picts have a decifive battle, in which the former prevail, and both kingdoms are united by Kenneth, which begins the fecond period of the Scottish history.

867 The Danes begin their ravages in England.

896 Alfred the Great, after fubduing the Danish invaders (against whom he fought 56 battles by fea and land), compofes his body of laws; divides England into counties, hundreds, and tythings; erects county courts, and founds the univerfity of Oxford about this time.

915 The univerfity of Cambridge founded.

936 The Saracen empire is divided by ufurpation into feven kingdoms.

975 Pope Boniface VII. is dépofcd and banithed for his crimes.

979 Coronation oaths faid to be firft ufed in England.

991 The figures in arithmetic are brought into Europe by the Saracens from Arabia. Letters of the alphabet were hitherto used.

.996 Otho III. makes the empire of Germany elective.

999 Boleflaus, the first king of Poland.

1000 Paper made of cotton rags was in ufe; that of linen rags in 1170: the manufac

tory introduced into England at Dartford, 1588.

1005 All the old churches are rebuilt about this time in a new manner of architecture. 1015 Children forbidden by law to be fold by their parents in England.

1017 Canute, king of Denmark, gets poffeffion of England.

1040 The Danes, after feveral engagements with various fuccefs, are about this time driven out of Scotland, and never again return in a hoftile manner.

1041 The Saxon line reftored under Edward the Confeffor.

1043 The Turks (a nation of adventurers from Tartary, ferving hitherto in the armies of contending princes) become formidable, and take poffeffion of Perfia.

1054 Leo IX. the first pope that kept up an army.

1057 Malcolm III. king of Scotland, kills the tyrant Macbeth at Dunfinane, and marries the princess Margaret, fifter to Edgar Atheling.

1065 The Turks take Jerufalem from the Saracens.

*

1066 The