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best profane historians, to whom holy Writ A. R. B. C. is more favourable, in that it constantly unites the empire of the Medes with that of the Persians.

But there still remains to be discovered to you one of the causes of the obscurity of those ancient histories, and it is this: as the kings of the East assumed several names, or, if you will, several titles, which afterwards took place of their proper names; and as different nations translated, or pronounced them differently, according to the respective idioms of each language, histories so ancient, of which there remain so few authentic memoirs, must have been thereby very much obscured. This confusion of names has doubtless caused a great deal of confusion in things themselves, and in persons; and hence proceeds the difficulty we find to situate in the Grecian History the kings who have had the name of Ahasuerus or Assuerus, which was not less unknown to the Greeks, than known to the people of the East.

And indeed, who should think that Cy-. axares were the same name with Assuerus, compounded of the word Ky, that is, Lord, and Axares, which manifestly coincides with Axuerus or Assuerus? Three or four princes have borne this name, though they had others beside. Were we not informed that Nabuchodonosor, Nabuchodrosor, and Nabopolassar, are but the same name, or the name of the same man, we should have difficulty to believe it; and yet the thing is certain. Sargon is Sennacherib; Uzziah

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A. R. B. C. is Azariah; Zedekiah is Mattaniah; Joachas, or Jehoahas, was also called Shallum; Ezar-haddon, which is likewise wrote Asaraddon, or Asor-haddan*, is named Asenaphar by the Cuthites; and by a singularity, of which we know not the origin, Sardanapalus finds himself named by the Greeks, Tonos Concoleros. One might make a long list of Eastern princes, who have, each of them, had several different names in history; but it is sufficient to have given you a general hint of this custom. Nor was it unknown to the Latins, among whom titles and adoptions multiplied names so variously. Thus the title of Augustus, and that of Africanus, became the proper names of Cesar Octavianus, and of the Scipios; and thus were the Neros, Cesars. The thing is undoubted, and it is needless to dwell longer on so certain a fact.

I do not intend, SIR, to trouble you any more with the difficulties of chronology, which are very immaterial to you. This, indeed, was of too great importance not to be cleared up in this place; and now having told you what is sufficient for our design, I resume the series of our epochs.

VIII. Epoch. Cyrus, or the Jews restored.

IT was then 218 years after the foundation of Rome, 536 years before Jesus Christ, at the expiration of the 70 years captivity

Ezr. iv. 2.

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in Babylon, and the same year that Cyrus A. R. B. C. founded the Persian empire, that this prince, chosen of God to be the deliverer of his people, and the restorer of his temple, put his hand to this great work. Immediately after the publication of his decree, Zerubbabel, attended by Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, the high priest, brought back the captives who rebuilt the altar, and laid the foundations of the second temple. The Samaritans, jealous of their glory, wanted to have a share in this great work *; and under a pretence that they worshipped the God of Israel, though they blended his worship with that of their false gods, they besought Zerubbabel to permit them to rebuild the temple of God with him. But the children of Judah, who abhorred their mixed worship, rejected the proposal. The Samaritans provoked, thwarted their design by all manner of artifices and outrages. About this time, Servius Tullius, after having enlarged the city of Rome, conceived the design of turning it into a commonwealth. But he was cut off in the midst of these thoughts, by the counsel of his own daughter, and the command of Tarquin the Proud, his son-in-law. That tyrant invaded the kingdom, in which he for a long time committed all manner of violence. Meanwhile the empire of the Persians continued advancing. Beside the immense provinces of the Greater Asia, the whole vast continent of Lower Asia obeyed them;

* Ezr. iv. 2, 3.

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A. R. B. C. the Syrians and Arabians were their subjects; Egypt, so jealous of its laws, received theirs. The conquest of it was made by Cambyses, the son of Cyrus. This brutal man did not long survive his brother Smerdis, whom an ambiguous dream had caused him privately to murder. Smerdis the Mage reigned some time under the name of Smerdis, the brother of Cambyses; but his im521 posture was soon detected. The seven principal lords conspired against him, and one of them was placed upon the throne. This was Darius, son of Hystaspes*, who in his inscriptions styled himself the best, and best formed of all men. Several marks occasion him to be considered as the Ahasuerus of the book of Esther, though it is not generally agreed. In the beginning of his reign the temple was finished, after various interruptions caused by the Samaritans. An irreconcileable hatred took place between the two people, and nothing was more opposite than Jerusalem and Samaria. In the time of Darius, commence the liberty of Rome and Athens, and the great glory of Greece. Harmodius and Aristogiton, Athenians, deliver their country from Hipparchus, son of Pisistratus, and are slain by his guards. Hippias, the brother of Hipparchus, attempts, in vain, to support 510 himself. He is expelled; and the tyranny of the family of Pisistratus is utterly abolished. The Athenians, having regained. their liberty, erect statues to their deli

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*Herod. lib. iv. c. 159.

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verers, and re-establish the popular govern- A. R. B. C. ment. Hippias throws himself into the arms of Darius, whom he finds already disposed to undertake the conquest of Greece, and has no hope but in his protection. At the time he was expelled, Rome also got rid of her tyrants. Tarquin the Proud had made royalty odious by his oppressions: the lewdness of Sextus, his son, gave it the finishing stroke. Lucretia being deflowered, 245 killed herself: her blood, and the harangues of Brutus, animated the Romans. The kings were banished, and the consular government was established upon the plan of Servius Tullius; but it was soon weakened by the jealousy of the people. In the first consulship, P. Valerius the consul, celebrated for his victories, became suspected by his citizens; and, to satisfy them, was obliged to enact the law, which allowed an appeal to the people, from the senate and consuls, in all causes wherein the punishment of a citizen was concerned. The expelled Tarquins found defenders: the neighbouring kings looked upon their banishment as an indignity offered to all kings; and Porsenna, king of the Clusians, a people of Etruria, took up arms against Rome; reduced to the last extremity, and almost taken, it was saved by the valour of Horatius Cocles. The Romans performed wonders in defence of their liberty: Scevola, a young citizen, burned the hand which had missed Porsenna; Clelia, a young virgin, astonished that prince by her resolution: Porsenna left Rome in peace, and the Tar

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