•Thus were all the events, which the Holy Spirit, by Daniel the Prophet, foretold fhould come to pafs in the space of feventy weeks, or 490 years after the re-building of the city of Jerufalem, which was finished, as we before obferved in the fortieth year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, King of Perfia, actually and evidently accomplished within that period of time, and not one year before the expiration of it.

< The feventy weeks, then, in the 24th verfe, reach from the fortieth of Artaxerxes Longimanus, when the re-building of Jerufalem was compleated, to the twelfth of Nero, and fixtyfixth year of our Lord, when the Jews were chaftifed for their rebellion by Gefius Florus, who maffacred many thousands of them, and Jerufalem was befieged by Ceftius Gallius: after which beginning of forrows, this miferable people were perpetually harraffed by the Romans, and enjoyed no reft till their city was demolished, and their nation diffipated and destroyed. The Jewish war, in the feventh year after the beginning of it by the Romans above mentioned, was quite finished by Vefpafian, and the governors under him, and not before; which space of time makes up the one week in the last verse of the prophecy."

D.

Account of FOREIGN BOOKS.

Lettres edifiantes & curieuses, ecrites des Miffions etrangeres par quelques Miffionnaires de la Compagnie de Jefus. That is,

Letters inftructive and curious, written from Miffions, by fome of the Jefuits Miffionaries. 12mo. 450 pages. Gueren and Delatour.

their foreign Paris, 1758.

IKE the reft of the collections under the fame title, that have hitherto appeared, this is calculated chiefly to found the praises of the Jefuits, and to magnify their labours in propagating the Chriftian faith. This occafions a great part of the work to contain little more than heavy, tedious, fuperftitious, narratives, that would find very few perufers, even in popish countries, if they were not interfperfed with fome curious pieces, in relation to geography, natural hiftory, and phyfic; and of the moft ftriking among thefe, we will give the Reader a fuccinct account. Father John Maria de Mailla, who died at Peking, Jan. 28, 1748, at the age of feventy-nine, has left behind him a tranflation of a compleat hiftory of China, written in the Tartar language, by the command, and under the direc

tion of, one of the late Emperors. The tranflator has prefixed to this a long and learned preface, in which is comprehended, a full account of the Chinese literature, and a detail of the pains taken to render this hiftory equally authentic and correct. He has likewise added many useful and curious notes, furnished by the enquiries he made, from the most intelligent scholars in China. There are various copies of the original work in France, and a fair manufcript of the entire tranflation, which will make feveral volumes in folio, in the Jefuits College at Lyons.

Father Chanfeaume defcribes, in a long and curious memoir, the method by which the Chinese obtain great quantities of wax from a certain tree, of which there are two forts. The method of of treating them, as far as we learn from this difcourfe, is pretty much the fame. These trees bear a kind of tufts, which break out afterwards into branches of white and very odoriferous flowers. When these flowers begin to appear, they take the nests of certain infects, and apply them in a manner particularly defcribed in this paper, to the boughs. Thefe animals, which are exceedingly small, live and feed upon the plant all the fummer, and cover themfelves from the heat and rain by a very thin fila. ment, which flows out of their bodies, as the web does from the fpider. In the month of September, this kind of coat is fcraped clean from the branches, with the fingers, and collected together. In order to purify it, they take a large china bafon, into which they put a fmall quantity of hot rice, well boiled and thoroughly drained. They cover this with a leffer bowl, on the top of which the matter collected from the trees is laid, in a heap, and the larger bafon being fet a little fhelving, the pure wax, melted by the heat, flows down the fide of the leffer, into the larger bowl, the dregs being left on the top. One ounce of this, which is perfectly transparent, being mixed with a pound of common oil, converts the whole into a fort of clear white wax, which is not only fit for all domeftic ufes, but is also serviceable for many phyfical purposes.

The next we fhall mention, is a very entertaining and interefting memoir of Father Gaubil, which contains an historical and geographical defcription of the dominions of the King of Lieou-Kieou. This is an archipelago of thirty-fix iflands, moft advantageoufly fituated between Corea, Formofa, and Japan; and the reprefentations we have of the country, its climate and productions, the people, their cuftoms and manners, their arts, manufactures and commerce, are really very pleafing and inftructive, more especially to fuch as are inclined to penetrate into the fecrets of the Eaft, and wish to fee our correfpondence with that part of the globe extended as far as it might be. There

There are fome other pieces in this collection, that certainly deferve notice; but these are the chief, and are fufficient fpecimens of thofe literary-curiofities, with which the reverend Father endeavours to bribe intelligent readers into the perufal of thofe voluminous and extravagant panegyrics which they bestow upon the order in general, and upon each other.

Hiftoire de Soladin, Sulthan d'Egypte & de Syrie: avec une introduction; une Hiftoire abrégée de la Dynaftie, des Ayoubites, fondée par Saladin; des notes critiques, hiftoriques, géographiques and quelques pieces juftificatives, par M. Marin. That is,

The Hiftory of Saladin, Sultan of Egypt and Syria, with an introduction; an abridgment of the hiftory of the Dynasty of the Ayubites, founded by Saladin, with notes critical, &c. and some papers in fupport of thefe memoirs. By Mr. Marin. 2 vols. 12mo. Paris 1758. For Tilliard.

The defign of this elegant performance, is to gratify the public with the memoirs of an oriental hero, and at the fame time to place a very remarkable period of the Mohammedan hiftory in a full and a clear point of light. This is the professed defign, but the real intention of the Author feems to be, under colour of refuting vulgar prejudices, and doing impartial justice to merit; to reprefent all things in a new light, and to give his Readers quite another idea of this mighty Conqueror than they would ever have acquired, by the perufal of his actions, as they ftand recorded in other hiftories.

Saladin was born at Tehrit, on the weft bank of the Tigris, in the year 1137. He was the fon of Ayub, who being intrufted with the command of an army by the King of Damafcus, had delivered up the city to Noradin, to whofe father he was under great obligations. On this account, Ayub was in high favour with the laft mentioned Prince, when his fon Saladin came into the world; who paffing his youth in opulence and tranquility, immerfed himself deeply in pleasure, and contracted from thence an habit of indolence, that made him unwilling to follow his uncle Schirkouh, who was detached with a part of Noradin's army, to the fuccour of the Caliph of Egypt, then much in danger of being oppreffed by the Chriftians. Saladin was intrufted with the defence of Alexandria, while his uncle was employed in augmenting his army in fuch a manner as might enable him to move to its relief. He performed on this occafion all that could be expected from him; and the fuccefs of the uncle and nephew having awakened the jealouly of the Caliphs prime minifter, this produced confpiracies on both fides, which ended

in

in the deftruction of the Egyptian, and in the Caliph's being obliged to raise Schirkouh to the poft of Vizir. He did not, however, enjoy his new dignity long, being removed by an indigeftion. The Caliph then elevated the nephew to that envied employment, which the uncle had enjoyed, not out of favour, but by the advice of his own creatures, from a principle of policy founded in fear, and in hopes that this would create fuch an animofity in the Syrian Emirs, who commanded under him, as might occafion a revolt in the army, and thereby afford him an opportunity of refuming his authority, and of getting rid of thofe, who, from being his auxiliaries, were become his mafters.

Saladin defeated this deep-laid fcheme, by a total change in his manners. He grew of a fudden wonderfully devout, extremely condescending to all who served under his orders, vigilant, indefatigable, and fo attentive to every thing which might gain him the hearts of the foldiers, that in a very fhort fpace of time, he commanded rather by virtue of being mafter of their affections, than in confequence of his being either the Vizir of the Caliph, or the General of Noradin.

mer.

In obedience to the orders of the latter, he depofed the forHe then governed Egypt abfolutely, though as the Vizir of Noradin, and kept the Emirs fo inceffantly employed in different expeditions, and at fo great a diftance from each other, that it was impoffible for them to cabal, or to confpire together, as they were inclined to do, for his deftruction. He was continually giving repeated affurances to his master of the most inviolable fidelity, which, however, were far enough from curing Noradin of his fufpicions; but as Saladin had a great army at his devotion, and the treafures of Egypt in his poffeffion, he durft not attempt to deprive him of his authority, till fuch time as he was in a condition to march against him with fuperior force. On the other hand, Saladin concerting all his measures with the utmost prudence, affected to execute the Sultan's orders with the nicest punctuality; but took care to render all his enterprizes fuccefstul, or abortive, as beft fuited his own inte reft. Noradin having made peace with all his other enemies, and a truce with the King of Jerufalem, began his rout with a powerful army, in order to difpoffefs Saladin of Egypt. He died in his progrefs thither, and his demife was quickly followed by that of the King of Jerufalem. Both these Princes left their fons under age, and Saladin availed himself very effectually of thefe minorities.

He renewed with much formality his oath of fidelity to Saleh, the fon of Noradin. But when he understood, that fome of the Emirs had revolted against that young Prince, he proceeded

ceeded directly to Damafcus, and made himself mafter of the city; in taking poffeffion of which, however, he affumed no higher title than that of Lieutenant to Saleh, pretending his only ambition was to act as the protector of that young Prince'; and having thereby, in fome meafure, calmed Saleh's fears, he marched on a fudden with all his forces, and invested him in Aleppo. He failed however in his defign upon that place, and being obliged to raise the fiege, entered Mefopotamia, and furprized Balbec. There his good fortune seemed to be at a stand. All the neighbouring princes, alarmed at his fuccefs, affembled their forces, and advanced towards him, withan intention to crufa him by fuperiority of numbers. Saladin, confiding in his veterans, and availing himself, like an able general, of the advantage of the ground, defeated his enemies, and by his clemency to the vanquished, and his generofity to his own troops, rendered his victory perfectly compleat. He then returned to the fiege of Aleppo, which though he could not reduce, yet he obliged Saleh to make a ceffion of Damafcus, Emeffa, and Hamah; upon which he affumed the title of Sultan, and governed ever after as a fovereign, and independent prince.

The fame good fortune attended Saladin, in his other wars, both against the princes of his own religion and the Chriftians, from whom he took the city of Jerufalem, and almost all the poffeffions which, with an infinite expence of blood and treafure, they had acquired in the eaft. He was indeed totally defeated in one battle by our king Richard, and that might have been fatal to his affairs, if his talents, as a politician, had not been equal to his abilities as a captain. He knew the jealoufies and animofities of the chriftian princes, which enabled him to play them one against another, till by degrees, and their mifapplition of their own forces, he weakened them all. Death putan end to his conquefts, in the year 1193, in the fifty seventh year of his age, when he had reigned twenty two years in Egypt, and nineteen in Syria.

He was, without doubt, a very extraordinary perfon, endowed with many high qualities, and having the appearance of many fhining virtues, all of which this author with infinite. pains, and in the most agreeable manner, has placed in the faireft point of view. But from this naked detail of facts, the reader will think it very ftrange, that he fhould be represented as a religious, magnanimous, juft, generous, and all accomplished prince. If there be any thing certain, it is this, that courage degenerates into ferocity, prudence into craft, when they are not exerted upon principle, and in the cause of truth; and we may further venture to fay, that wit, ftile, and all the powers of writing, are never fo ill applied, as when they are

intended