Not to describe particularly that prodigious Wall built by Sesostris, which defended the East side of Egypt, against the Irruptions of the Syrians and Arabians, being 1500 Furlongs in length, and extending from Pelusium by the Desart as far as Heliopolis; we come next to speak of those famous Walls belonging to the City of Babylon in Chaldea, built by Semiramis the Wife of Ninus, a Princess, who being naturally of an high aspiring Spirit, was ambitious of excelling all others in glorious Actions. So soon therefore as she had bury’d her Husband Ninus, |Ninus his Sepulchre.| King of Assyria, in the Royal Palace, and rais’d over him a Mound of Earth of wonderful bigness, which as Ctesias reports, standing at some distance from the City that lay in the Plain, appear’d like a stately Cittadel, being 9 Furlongs high and 10 broad: She provided her self of 2000000 Artists and Workmen to build this City of Babylon in one Year, |Babylon in Chaldea.| so ordering it that the River Euphrates should flow thro’ the midst of it, as Diod. Siculus, Lib. 2. cap. 1. informs us. She next encompass’d it with a Wall as many Furlongs in circuit as there are Days in the Year, viz. 365: This Wall was 300 Foot high and 75 broad, insomuch that Coaches might meet and turn upon it; She adorn’d it with 250 Turrets of suitable proportion: Then she made a Bridge 5 Furlongs in length, over the narrowest part of the River, and Floor’d it with great Joists and Planks of Cedar, Cypress and Palm-Tree, 30 Foot long: At each end of this Bridge, just on the Brink of the River, she built a Palace, whence she might have a Prospect of the whole City: Then in a low Ground she sunk a four square Pond, every Square being 300 Furlongs and the depth of the whole 35 Foot, lining it with Bricks, cemented together with a sort of Bitumen of a very glutinous Nature like Asphalt, which work’d out of the Earth so plentifully thereabouts, that it not only supply’d the People with Fuel, but serv’d them also instead of Mortar for their Buildings, and with which both the Palaces and Walls of this City were cemented. Afterwards, by turning the River aside, she made a Passage in the nature of a Vault from one Palace to another, and then let the Water again into its former Channel, which immediately overflow’d the whole Work, by which means she could go under the River when she had not a mind to pass over it. She likewise made two brazen Gates, one at each end of this Vault, as also Banqueting-Houses of Brass, into which passages were open’d by certain Engins. Here might be seen brazen Statues of Ninus, Semiramis and all the great Officers, as likewise Armies drawn up in Battalia. These Palaces were moreover surrounded with Walls, 30 Furlongs in circuit, with Turrets on them 140 Yards high, on whose Bricks were pourtray’d, before they were burn’d, all kinds of living Creatures, with great Art and curious Painting, particularly a general Hunting of all sorts of wild Beasts, each Beast being four Cubits high: Among these was Semiramis on Horseback, striking a Leopard thro’ with a Dart, and near her Ninus her Husband peircing a Lion with his Lance.

In the middle of the City she built a Temple to Jupiter Belus of exceeding great height, |Temple of Belus.| by the advantage of which, the Chaldean Astrologers observ’d the setting and rising of the Stars. Upon the top of it she plac’d three Statues of Jupiter, Juno and Rhea, all of beaten Gold. That of Jupiter was about 40 Foot high, and Juno held in her hand a Scepter adorn’d with precious Stones. These three Statues weigh’d 2830 Babylonish Talents, and for these Deities, there were plac’d on an Altar of beaten Gold, 40 Cubits long and 15 broad, Censors, Cups and Drinking-Bowls of Gold likewise, weighing at least 3230 Talents. Besides the richness of this City, it was so vast and great that Aristotle said, it ought rather to have been call’d a Country, adding withal, that when the Town was taken, it was three Days before the farthest part had notice of it.

Here likewise was the Pensil Garden so much fam’d, being 400 Foot square, with an ascent to it like to the top of a Mountain, and having Buildings and Apartments out of one into another, like a Theatre. Under the Steps of the Ascent were Arches, gradually rising one above another, and supporting the whole Building, the highest Arch upon which the Platform of the Garden was laid being 50 Cubits high, and the Garden it self surrounded with Battlements and Walls 22 Foot in thickness. The whole Fabric was floor’d over with massy Stones, 16 Foot long and 4 broad, and these again cover’d with Reeds run over with Bitumen, upon which were laid double Tiles, set together with hard Plaster, and those cover’d with Sheet-Lead, that the wet which should drain thro’ the Earth might not rot the Foundation. Upon all these was laid Earth of a convenient depth, which was planted with all sorts of Trees, that for largeness and beauty might delight the Spectators. The Arches had in them many stately Rooms of all kinds, and for all purposes; one of these had a certain Engin, that drew plenty of Water out of the River for watering the Garden, after such manner as none above knew how it was done. This Garden was built in latter Ages by Cyrus, at the request of a Persian Courtesan, who, coveting Meadows on the tops of Mountains, desir’d the King, by an artificial Plantation, to imitate the Land in Persia.

Semiramis built other Cities on the Banks of Euphrates and Tigris, and likewise caus’d a great Stone to be cut out of the Mountains of Armenia, 125 Foot in length and 5 in breadth and thickness, which she convey’d to the River by the help of many yokes of Oxen and Asses, and there putting it on board a Ship, brought it to Babylon, where she set it up in the most remarkable Place, as a wonderful Spectacle to all Beholders. |Obelisk of Semiramis.| This from its shape was term’d an Obelisk, signifying in Greek, a Spit, and accounted, says Diodorus, one of the seven Wonders of the World; from whence we have a very good Argument, that the Egyptian Obelisks were cut out of Rocks or Quarries, and not cast as some have suppos’d. Semiramis having finish’d these Works, went to the Mountain Bagistan in Media, which is 17 Furlongs from top to bottom, and there caus’d her own Image to be carv’d on the side of the Rock, and 100 of her Guards with Lances round about her. She also made a Garden on the middle of an exceeding high Rock, and built therein stately Houses of Pleasure, from whence she might have both a delightful Prospect into her Garden, and view her Army encamp’d below on the Plain: Likewise that she might leave behind her a lasting Monument of her Name, she in a short Time, yet at vast expence, made a shorter Passage towards Ecbatana, for by hewing down the Rocks, and filling up the Valleys, she laid that Way open and plain, which to this Day is call’d Semiramis’s Way. She plentifully supply’d Ecbatana with wholsome Waters, by means of a Canal she dug, 15 Foot over and 40 Foot deep, beginning from the foot of the Mountain Orontes, and as she went thro’ Persia and Asia, she plain’d all along the way before her, levelling both Rocks and Mountains. On the other hand, in Champagne Countries, she rais’d Eminences, whereon she either built Towns and Cities, or else Sepulchres for her Officers and great Commanders. Many other wonderful Things were done by this Queen, which seem to exceed common Belief; but as for those more admirable Works of the Egyptians, Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, Strabo, Pliny and others are full of Relations of what they have been, and the present Remains of some of them at Rome are sufficient Arguments to evince there were such, so that we should but loose Time in endeavouring to prove that which we now hope every one is satisfied of. Our next business therefore, must be to enquire how these Arts came first to be found out, and by what means they were accomplish’d and brought to so great Perfection: What these Arts and Sciences were, suppos’d by Authors to have been found out by the Egyptians, I have already shown else-where, so shall here only add, that Hermes or Mercury is reported by Diodorus Siculus and other Writers, to have been the chief Inventor of them; but as no Art was ever invented and compleated at one Time, so neither was it ever invented and perfected by one Person so far, but another could add somewhat more commodious or advantagious to it.

Now, as to the first Invention of Things, I shall consider these three principal Causes: |Arts how first Invented.| First, Necessity is said to have been the Mother of Invention, by reason it puts Mens Minds upon thinking how to supply their Wants, with such Things, and after such manner as they have most occasion for. Secondly, Unexpected Experiments, as when you aim and try to find out one Thing, and accidentally light on another: Thus ’tis said Gun-Powder and divers other considerable Things have been found out by Chance, and innumerable others by experimental Chymistry. Thirdly, Natural Philosophy, or Observation of the Instincts of all living Creatures, has suggested many noble Thoughts and Fancies to Men, both for Imitation and Invention. Now tho’ we cannot assert that Men at first learn’d Architecture from the Beaver, which builds himself a House for shelter and security in the Winter Time, yet are we certain they took the several Ornaments of Building either from Birds, Beasts and Fishes, or from the Leaves, Flowers and Fruits of Plants. Thus the Grecians generally us’d the Leaves of ^[5]Acanthus, and the Jews those of Palm-Trees and Pomegranates in their Buildings. Nor is it less probable their Weaving might be found out from the Spider or Silk-Worm, than that the Fish call’d Nautilus, or the little Mariner, was Navigiorum Archetipus, the first Type or Pattern of a Ship, who when he is to Swim, contracts his Body and Finns into the form of a Galley under Sail. From the sight whereof, some (as Pliny conceives) took the first hint of framing a Ship, as from the sight of a Kite flying in the Air, who turns and steers his Body with his Tail (as Fishes also do in the Water) some have devis’d the Stern and Rudder of a Ship. Iidem videntur Artem gubernandi docuisse Caudæ flexibus, in Cælo monstrante Natura quod opus esset in profundo, Pliny Lib. 10. cap. 10. They seem to have taught Men the Art of Steering a Ship by the flexures of their Tails, Nature shewing in the Air what was needful to be done in the Deep. ’Tis also observ’d by that great Naturalist Mr. Ray, that the Trunk of a Bird’s Body does somewhat resemble the Hull of a Ship, the Head the Prow, which is for the most part small, that it may the more easily cut the Air, and the Tail serves to steer, govern and direct its flight. We read there was a Beast in Egypt call’d Cynocephalus, of a very strange kind, kept in the Temple of Serapis, which, during the Time of the two Equinoxes, made Water 12 Times in a Day, and as often in the Night, regularly and at even Spaces of Time; from the Observation of which, they divided the Natural Day into 24 Hours, that Beast being as it were their Clock and Dial, both to divide their Day, and reckon their Hours by. This probably gave Ctesibius of Alexandria an hint to invent the Clepsydræ or Water Glasses, which distinguish’d the Hours by the fall or dropping of Water, as Clepsammidiæ or Sand-Glasses did by the running of Sand; and to shew they ow’d the Invention of these Water-Glasses to the Cynocephalus, they us’d to carve one on the top of them, as may be seen in Kircher in Mechanica Ægyptiaca. Now Egypt was both in respect of its Scituation as well as natural production of curious Things, a mighty help to the Invention and improvement of Arts and Sciences; for as Casalius de veter. Ægypt. Ritibus, p. 35. tells us, Arithmetic was first found out by their great Commerce, and Geometry from the River Nile’s Annual over-flowing the Fields, and removing their Bound-Marks, which occasion’d great Disputes among them, so that by the frequent measuring of the Ground it was deriv’d into this Art. And as for Astrology, the quality of the Climate and scituation of the Country was such, as gave them an advantage above others, more clearly to discern the rising and setting of the Stars, for by reason of the perpetual Serenity of the Air, they found out the Course of the Sun, Moon and Stars, with their Constellations, Aspects and Influences, and moreover by their often Worshipping those Planets, beheld and contemplated them more seriously, and from thence became the most skillful Astrologers in the World, as Firmianus Divin. instit. Lib. 2. cap. 14. says: Hereby also being made more perspicacious, and observing of natural Things, they invented Physick, for, as Prosper Alpinus, |Physic, how first found out.| Lib. de Medicina Ægyptiorum reports, They took the hints of curing divers Diseases from brute Beasts and Animals. Thus Phlebotomy or Bleeding was found out from the Hippopotomos or River-Horse, which lives in the Nile, for when this Beast is grown over fat with continual Gluttony and Gormandizing, he searches out for a sharp pointed Reed on the Banks of the River, and having found one fit for his purpose, sticks it into his Thigh, and wounds a certain Vein there; when having sufficiently emty’d his Plethoric Body by Bleeding, he closes, and as it were plasters up the Orifice with Mud. Also that a certain Bird call’d Ibis, about the Banks of Nile, first taught the Egyptians the way of administring Clysters; for this Bird has been often observ’d, by means of his crooked Bill intromitted into the Anus, to inject salt Water, as with a Syringe, into its own Bowels, and thereby to exonerate its Paunch when too much obstructed. Dogs are commonly known when Sick to Vomit themselves by eating Grass. Swine, so soon as they perceive themselves ill, refuse their Meat, and so recover by Abstinence. ’Tis reported the wild Goat taught the use of the Dictamnus, for drawing out of Darts and healing Wounds, and the Swallow the use of Celandine for recovering the Sight; whence we may as well infer, that from the diversity of Bodies, such as Flies, Spiders, Gnats, Bees, Pismires, Grashoppers, Locusts, Frogs, &c. inclos’d in Amber, the Egyptians might first learn the Art of Embalming; |How Embalming.| but since these things appear rather Fabulous, and the pleasant Flights of acute Wits and inquisitive Naturalists, than solid Truths to be rely’d on, we must have recourse to the fourth Cause, viz. That their Opinion of the Metemsychosis or Transmigration of the Soul, and other such like religious Principles, first oblig’d them to study this Art, and perhaps the known Virtues of Opobalsamum, so good against Mortifications and Putrifactions, might suggest to them the use of it in preserving the Bodies of Princes, as the Balsamic, Sulphurous and Bituminous Nature of their Asphalt, taught them to use that for the poorer sort of People; besides, whatever way it was first found out, it was as easie for them to do it as for us to believe it, says Gabriel Clauderus in Methodo Balsamandi, p. 41. because they excell’d all other Nations in Learning and Invention, so that by applying themselves with the utmost diligence to the study of this Art, they could not fail of attaining the perfection of it, especially since this Region was, above all others, the best accommodated with an extraordinary fruitfulness and plenty of Aromatic and Medicinal Things, necessary as well for all Physical Uses as for the decent performing of their Embalmings. Now Sandys, p. 38. tells us abundance of Practitioners in Physic are frequently invited to Cairo by the great store of Simples there growing. Add to this the extraordinary Diligence of the Egyptian Kings and Priests, both in rewarding Arts and being solicitously intent on finding out the Nature of Things themselves, not by indulging Superstition, but by a strict search and scrutiny, not trusting to plausible Appearances, but only to Experiments and Demonstration. To prove this we shall show such infallible Methods for the Invention and Improvement of all Arts and Sciences, that they could not easily miscarry in their Designs; for besides the famous Library of Ptolemy Philadelphus, and that in the Temple of Serapis, there was at Cairo, as Prosper Alpinus de Medicina Ægyptiorum relates, a University or place of Study call’d Gemelhazar, which paid yearly out of the public Stock of the Academy 300000 pieces of Gold for Books, Food, Stipends, &c.

The Invention of Arts and Sciences may be partly imputed to the goodness of their Laws, |Goodness of their Laws.| and their strictness in observing them; the Egyptians alledging this as an undeniable Argument, that the best Laws were made and instituted among them, in that the Native Kings had Reign’d in Egypt for the space of above 4700 Years, and that their Country during all that Time had been the most prosperous and flourishing in the World, which could never have been so if the Inhabitants had not been civiliz’d and brought up under good Laws, and a liberal Education in all kinds of Arts and Sciences. To effect this therefore they divided their People into three Orders: First, Priests. Secondly, Artificers and Husbandmen. And, Thirdly, Military Persons or Souldiers. Now each Person strictly keeping to his own Province, Art flourish’d in a right Line, and Sciences were not attack’d by rustic and ignorant Pretenders, but only practis’d by Priests, who were the chief of their Nobility, and liv’d separate from all others least their Learning should be any ways divulg’d. Nor was it lawful for any but Priests Sons to enter the Colleges where these Sciences were taught, whereby the more polite Knowledge was secur’d to the Priests, and mechanic Arts and Trades practis’d only by the inferior People. Now the better to effect and propagate this, they had three Laws that mightily encourag’d the Study and Invention of Arts, on which their chief Felicity depended, as Diodorus Siculus witnesses. First, In that they honour’d and esteem’d all such as were the first Inventors and Promoters of useful Things. Secondly, In that he who pretended to more Arts than one, incurr’d a most grievous Punishment. And, Thirdly, In that every one was oblig’d to appear annually before the Governour of the Province to show how he got his Living, which if he could not prove, or was found to subsist by unjust means, he was infallibly punish’d with Death. Thus all Men were employ’d, |Arts most flourishing in the Reign of Amasis.| and every Art carry’d to the highest perfection in the Reign of Amasis, who enacted the third Law. Now, as a further Argument of the Egyptian Industry, hear what Fl. Vopiscus relates of the Alexandrians: Civitas, says he, [Alexandria] opulenta, dives, fæcunda, in qua Nemo vivit otiosus, alii Vitrum conflant, ab aliis Charta conficitur, alii Linyphiones sunt: Omnes certe cujuscunque Artis & videntur & habentur; Podagrosi quod agant habent, habent cæci quod faciant, ne Chiragrici quidem apud eos otiosi vivunt. |Alexandria, how Industrious and Flourishing.| Alexandria is a plentiful and opulent City, in which none live idle: Some blow Glass, others make Paper, a third sort weave Linnen, and in a word, all have some Trade or Work. Those that have the Gout in their Feet or are Blind have something to do, and even such as have the Gout in their Hands are not idle. This shows how every Art was cultivated: Likewise their Industry and number of Hands as plainly prove the facility of performing those seemingly incredible and stupendious Works, which has taken us up so much Time to relate; for ’tis said, throughout the whole Country of Egypt, |Egypt, its number of Cities and Inhabitants.| in the Reign of Amasis, there were reckon’d no fewer than 20000 Cities, and that it was esteem’d the most populous Country of the World. Diodorus Siculus tells us it had in it above 18000 Cities, as might be seen register’d in their Sacred Records; and in the Time of Ptolemeus Lagus there remain’d above 3000. Once, they say, in a general Census taken of all the Inhabitants, they amounted to Seven Millions, and even at the Time of Diodorus, there were no less than Three Millions of People, |How it came to be so numerous.| which wonderful Encrease some think might be effected by the constant drinking of the Nile Water, which had the Virtue of making the Egyptian Women Prolific, so as commonly to bring forth three or four Children at a Birth. This may a little abate the wonder, how the Children of Israel could multiply to that degree in so short a space, that in 430 Years, from 70 Persons, which came with Jacob into Egypt, he became a mighty Nation; for it is said, at their departure, there journey’d, from Rameses to Succoth, about 600000 Men, besides Women and Children. Now how populous the Land from whence they came was, may be collected not only from their commanding such mighty Powers as were under them, but also, as has been before observ’d, from the several Accounts of that Kingdom, given us by Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus; for it is reported that Sesac or Sesonchis arm’d 400000 Foot, 60000 Horse and 1200 Chariots against Rehoboam, and that King Cheops or Chemnis employ’d 360000 Men in erecting one of the Pyramids. ’Tis also farther said, they built other stupendious Works, such as the Labyrinth, Obelisks, Colossus’s, &c. |By what Means such wonderful Works were perform’d,| as not knowing otherwise how to expend their Treasure or employ their People, thro’ which means their Kings, by their great Riches and infinite numbers of Men, left behind them such eternal Monuments of their State and Grandure, which altho’ they bear the name of Wonders to this very Day, as seeming very difficult to have been perform’d, yet were such Works render’d easie enough, if we consider so vast a multitude of Hands as were employ’d about them, and this being rightly consider’d, we may well enough believe what Herodotus says of Egypt, That it had more wonderful Works than all the Nations of the World besides.

Thus having shown how the Egyptians were the first Inventors and Propagators of Arts and Sciences, we will next show to what end they built those admirable Structures with so great Labour and Expence, thinking not as Aristotle, Lib. 3. Polit. who makes them to have been the Works of Tyranny, or as Pliny, Lib. 26. cap. 12. conjectures, that they built them partly out of Ostentation, and partly out of State-Policy, to divert their People from Mutinies and Rebellion by keeping them employ’d, but that they erected them as Repositories for their Dead, which they did from a Belief they had of the Immortality of the Soul, and an Opinion they held of the Metempsychosis or Transmigration of it from one Body to another: ’Tis true, those Arguments alledg’d by Pliny might be Secondary Motives, yet says Greaves in his Pyramidographia, p. 45. the true Reason depends upon higher and more weighty Considerations, |Theology of the Egyptians, or Metempsychosis.| springing from the Theology of the Egyptians, who as Servius shews in his Comment on these words of Virgil, Lib. 3. Æneid. where that Poet describes the Funeral of Polydorus,

believ’d, That as long as the Body endur’d so long should the Soul continue with it, which also was the Opinion of the Stoicks: Hence the Egyptians, skilful in Wisdom, keep their Dead embalm’d so much the longer, to the end the Soul may for a long while continue with the Body, lest it should quickly pass into another. The Romans acted quite contrary, burning their Dead, that the Soul might suddenly return into the generality of Things, that is, into its own Nature; wherefore, says Greaves, that the Body might not either by Putrifaction be reduc’d to Dust, out of which it was first form’d, or by Fire be converted to Ashes (as the manner of the Greeks and Romans was) the Egyptians invented curious Compositions, besides intombing their Dead in stately Repositories, thereby to preserve them from Rottenness, and render them Eternal. Nec cremare, aut fodere fas putant, verum arte Medicatos intra penetralia collocant, says Pomponius Mela, Lib. 1. cap. 9. Also Herodotus in Thalia gives the Reason why they neither burn’d nor bury’d their Dead, for discoursing in his third Book of the Cruelty of Cambyses, and his commanding the Body of Amasis, an Egyptian King, should be taken out of his Sepulchre, be whipp’d and us’d with all contumely; he reports, after all this he order’d it to be burn’d, Commanding that which was not Holy, for the Persians imagin’d the Fire to be a God, |Fire thought by the Persians a God.| and neither the Egyptians nor they were accustom’d to burn their Dead: The Persians, for the Reason before alleg’d, because they conceiv’d it unfit for a God to devour the Carcass of a Man; and the Egyptians, because they were persuaded the Fire was a living Creature, |By the Egyptians a living Creature.| devouring all Things it receiv’d, and after it was satisfy’d with Food, dy’d with that it had devour’d. Nor was it their Custom to give their dead Bodies to Beasts (as the Hyrcanians were wont to do) but to Embalm or Salt them, not only for this Reason, but also that they might not be consum’d with Worms. The term ταριχεύειν, i. e. Salting or Embalming the Dead, us’d by Herodotus, is also us’d by Baruch and Plato. Lucian likewise in his Discourse de Luctu, treating of the several kinds of Burial practis’d by divers Nations, says, The Grecians burn their Dead, the Persians bury them, the Indians anoint them with the Fat of Swine, the Scythians eat them, and the Egyptians (ταριχεύει) Embalm them: Which manner likewise is alluded to by M. Aurelius Antoninus, under the word τάριχος: His Words are these, That which the other Day was excrementitious Matter, shall within few Days either be τάριχος, an Embalm’d Body, or down right Ashes; in the one expressing the Custom of the Egyptians, and in the other that of the Romans. By Salting or Embalming the Soul, according to the Belief of the Egyptians, was oblig’d to abide with the Body, and the Body on its part became as durable as Marble, insomuch that Plato, who liv’d in Egypt with Eudoxus no less than 13 Years, as Strabo witnesses, brings it for an Argument, in his Phædon, to prove the Immortality of the Soul, thro’ the long duration of these Bodies, which surely would have been yet more conclusive with him, could he but have imagin’d they should have continu’d so solid and entire even to this Day, as we find many of them are: For this Reason St. Austin |Egyptians believ’d the Resurrection.| truly affirms the Egyptians had a Belief of the Resurrection, in that they carefully preserv’d their Dead; for they had a Custom among them of drying up the Bodies, and rendring them as durable as Brass: These, in their Language they call’d Gabbares, whence the gloss of Isidore, Gabbares mortuorum in Vulcanius his Edition, or as Spondanus de Cæmet. sacris, Lib. 1. pars 1. cap. 5. reads, Gabbares mortuorum condita Corpora.