the whole together, and gave it to the Levites, still adding a few matters that were to be recorded after his ordering the Levites the charge of his books; namely, what we find from the 24th verse of the 31st chapter of Deuteronomy, to the end of the 33d chapter, as Joshua afterwards added to what was left by Moses the occurrences of the times that succeeded. In this manner, perhaps, we may fully account for all that can seem in any wise to intimate to us, that we have not now the books of Moses in the order and form in which he left them; and this account of his books seems to me most likely to be the true one, and consequently most reasonable to be admitted.

As to the particulars contained in the ensuing volume, I must submit them to the reader: I hope they may be received with the candour that has been shewed to my former volumes. What is now published might have been more various and entertaining, had it reached down to an age that could have afforded more matter of profane history to be interspersed in it: but divers of the Scripture occurrences herein treated of were not to be passed over cursorily, and the entering into these more largely obliged me to conclude this volume something short of the period at which I proposed to myself to end it. I am abundantly sensible of the obligations I am under to many of my superiors, for the reputation they give me by their favour. The truly great find a real pleasure in cherishing any well-intended endeavours of their inferiors and if my abilities as an author were equal to the gratitude and inclination of my mind, I should well deserve the continuance of that good opinion which many persons, who are in stations above my being otherwise known to them, are pleased to conceive of me themselves, and to create of me in others. But I am afraid I should appear guilty of an act of vanity rather than of gratitude, if I were to proceed in intimations of this nature, or to say how much the right honourable Mr. Onslow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, has been a patron of my studies in this manner.

My thanks are acknowledged to be due to a learned divine of a foreign University, Mr. Wolle, of Leipsic, and also to Mr. Arnold, professor of the English and French tongues there, for my reputation in their country. I am sorry I am not able to read the translation of my books, which the one of them has some years ago published in the German tongue, and the very learned dissertation prefixed to that translation by the other. Hopes were at one time given me of seeing this dissertation in English, and, from the

short extract of it in our Republic of Letters, I cannot but think I should have satisfaction in every part of it, except in that which relates to my own character. I have not those abilities, which this learned divine ascribes to me: I may have been happy in the choice of a subject, which, if I could manage suitably, might afford a work very useful even to the learned world. I can only endeavour to go through it with as much attention as my situation in life will allow me; but am able to perform no part of it without many imperfections. My procedure in it must be by slow steps; being obliged many times to lay aside my studies upon account of avocations, which, in my circumstances, must be attended to, and oftentimes to defer, or entirely to drop subjects that might be considered, as I can or cannot get a sight of books that would conduct my inquiries. However, if I find my endeavours continue acceptable to the public, I shall, as soon as I can, in one volume more, offer the remaining part of this undertaking.

c Republic of Letters for September, 1731.

SHELTON, NORFOLK,

Oct. 21, 1736.

THE

SACRED AND PROFANE

HISTORY OF THE WORLD

CONNECTED,

BOOK X.

OSES and the Israelites joined in a song of thanksgiving

MOSE

for their deliverance from the Egyptians, after which they moved from the Red sea into the wilderness of Shurb: they wandered three days in the wilderness, and could find no water at Marah they found water, but could not drink it, for it was bitterd; And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried unto the Lord, and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweete. We are informed that God at this time gave Moses some particular command, and proved him, or made trial of his obedience; for this must be the sense of the place. Our English translators have evidently mistaken the words of Moses; they render the passage, there he made for THEM a statute, and an

a Exodus xv.

b Ver. 22.

c Syncell. Chron. p. 128. ed. Par. 1651. Philo de vita Mosis, 1. i. Joseph.

Antiq. 1. iii. c. 1.

d Exodus xv. 23.

e Ver. 25. f Ver. 26.

ordinance, and there he proved THEM. This translation seems to hint, that some laws were here given to the Israelites, and that they were the persons here proved; but the commentators are at a loss to ascertain any laws given at this times. If we attend to the Hebrew text, the affix used by Moses does not signify THEM, but HIM; and Moses himself was the person here applied to, and not the Israelites, and the statute and ordinance here given was to him, and not to them; and this agrees with the 26th verse, where the text is justly translated, not, If ye will hearken; but, If THOU wilt diligently hearken, &c. When the Israelites were got over the Red sea, we do not read that the pillar of the cloud and of fire went before them into the wilderness of Shur: Moses very probably led them thither without any special direction from God. They travelled here three days without water; and when they found water, it was bitter, and they could not drink it. In their distress they murmured, and Moses prayed to God for assistance. God accepted his prayer, and gave him [chok ve mishpat] a special order and appointment what to do; namely, to take a bough from a tree which he was directed to, and to put it into the waters, and by this he proved or tried himh: he gave him an opportunity to shew his readiness strictly to perform whatever orders should be enjoined him; and hereupon God promised him, that if he would thus punctually observe all his appointments, that then he would continually extricate him out of every difficulty.

We read of no place called Marah in the profane authors; for indeed the Israelites gave the place this name, because the waters they found here were bitter, the word Marah in their language signifying to be bitter: but the best heathen writers agree, that there were lakes of bitter waters

See Pool's Synops. in loc.

h We meet many instances in the Scriptures of God's appointing persons applying to him for favours, to do some act as a proof of their entire submission and obedience to him. Jacob was ordered to use peeled rods, Gen. xxx. Naaman to wash in the river Jordan, 2 Kings v. And in Exodus xvi. the Israelites were proved in this

manner: They were ordered to gather of the manna a certain rate every day, that God might prove them, whether they would walk in his law or no. Thus was Moses here proved; he was ordered to put a bough into the water; a thing in itself insignificant; but his doing it testified his readiness to observe any injunction which God should think fit to give him.