they could read him without knowing the beginning of the line from the end? And how they could contrive to go from right to left through the body of the work, fo as to get at any thing like sense; and then, all at once, by strangely mistaking a course they had fo long followed, go quite the oppofite way to work, and reverse a whole dynasty of kings? Not too, as we may obferve, of mere folitary names; but each accompanied with description, with anecdote, and with the exact duration of his reign? If the ingenious gentleman can but clear me up this pretty flight-of-hand way of boxing an author, as feamen do their compafs, backwards and forwards, erit mihi magnus Apollo. +-Much erudition and induftry, we muft, in the mean time acknowledge, our author has displayed in the illustration of this hiftory: and it is to be hoped, that nobody will be wicked enough to think, that the Laputa projector, who bufied himself in extracting Sun-beams from cucumbers, was half fo rationally employed. "

+ It is by the fame ingenious fyftem of alternate inverተ fion, that he cleanfes the Augean ftable of Egyptian dynafties. One indeed would almost think that his Greeks must have come fresh from studying the Burgo ftile of Sigean infcriptions; and tranflated, agreeable to this mode, one line to the right, and the next to the left, as the ox ploughs.

"GREAT respect," (let me conclude in the words of our learned author, Vol. III. p. 140. on the Systems of Pezron and Wife)" is cer"tainly due to men of learning; and a pro

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per regard fhould be paid to their memory. "But they forfeit much of this esteem, when "they mifapply their talents; and put them"felves to those shifts to fupport an hypo"thefis. They may fmile at their reveries, "and plume themselves on their ingenuity "in finding out such expedients: but no good "can poffibly arife from it; for the whole is

a fallacy and impofition. And a perfon "who gets out of his depth, and tries to "fave himself by fuch feeble fupports, is "like an ideot drowning: who laughs, and plunges, and catches at every straw.'

E e

SECT. V.

Further obfervations on the Cuthite Syftem; efpecially on Etymological principles.

IN

N the preceding Sections, I have endeavoured, in a few inftances, to show the unfolid basis of our learned author's System, upon Chronological and Hiftorical grounds. I have endeavoured to fhow how much he is, in a variety of respects, in oppofition to Scripture; unfupported by profane history; and discountenanced by reafon. I have endeavoured to show, how vain and unfatisfactory the attempt must be, to illuftrate the Sacred Writings, on points of fuch high antiquity, by the wild incoherencies of a Berofus and other fufpected writers : — feeking, indeed, with taper light, the beauteous eye of heaven to garnish. I fhall now endeavour to fhow, that the allegations, on the head of etymology, which he has made in the Analysis, and repeated in the Apology, are equally groundlefs with the reft.

2

He has faid, "That though his etymological Syftem might be found contrary to "truth, the history would speak for itfelf; "and, without those helps, be authentica"ted." This caveat, as he calls it, did by no means escape me: But I could not acquiefce in the truth of the position. It is indeed boldly afferted. The learned gentleman is feldom embarraffed with diffidence. And bold affertions, we all know, will ever find believers. Lord Peter, in the Tale of a Tub, took a fancy once to affert, that a large loaf, served up to dinner, was excellent mutton. Martin and Jack, it is true, ventured to entertain fome doubts. But his Lordship foon fettled the matter concifely thus: "Look ye, gentlemen, cries Peter in a rage, to con"vince you what a couple of blind, positive,

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ignorant puppies you are, I will use but "this plain argument: by G-d it is true, "good, natural mutton as any in Leadenhall "Market; and G-d confound you both "eternally if you offer to believe otherwife." -The brothers were immediately satisfied: but, as there were still some odd people, who could not fo readily enter into Lord Peter's taste: I hope the learned gentleman will allow me to hesitate, before I bring myself to his. For fo little, in my apprehenfion,

will history aid his Syftem; that it seems to be every where, as Shakespeare says, frightened from its propriety; diverted from its rational and received meaning; and unnaturally bent, by the help of ftrained etymological definitions, to give a colouring to his pre-conceived opinions. The radicals may indeed be called the threads which few his fhreds together. Cut them, and they fall to pieces. It is Etymology alone which gives to the whole a fpecious appearance: and, indeed, where that proves ideal, the quotations in general might, with no greater violence, be employed to illuftrate the conquefts of Alexander, or the voyages of Christopher Columbus.

WHAT, in fact, but the arbitrary meanings, given by the learned author to places, in every corner of the globe; and which he has fet up, like land-marks, to trace the Cuthites in all their fanciful expeditions; could ever have induced him to adopt the line of Ham for his heroes? And how ftrong must this prepoffeffion have been, when it could lead him to counteract, in a variety of refpects, the very spirit of Scripture, upon which he, at the fame time, profeffedly builds? The posterity of Ham are exprefsly curfed by Noah, on account of the irreverence of their ancestor; and doomed to be fubfervient to the lines of