A New System | Page 5

sensu dubios, quâ gravitate mones! Si fontes
aperire novos, et acumine docto Elicere in scriptis quæ latuere sacris,
Seu Verum è fictis juvet extricare libellis, Historicâ et tenebris reddere
lumen ope, Aspice conspicuo lætentur ut omnia coelo, Et referent
nitidum solque jubarque diem! Centauri, Lapithæque, et Tantalus,
atque Prometheus, Et Nephele, veluti nube soluta suâ,-- Hi pereunt
omnes; alterque laboribus ipse Conficis Alcides Hercule majus opus.
Tendis in hostilem soli tibi fisus arenam? Excutis hæretici verba minuta
Sophi[2]? Accipit æternam vis profligata repulsam, Fractaque sunt
validâ tela minæque manu. Cui Melite non nota tua est? atque impare
nisu Conjunctum à criticis Euro Aquilonis iter? Argo quis dubitat? quis
Delta in divite nescit Quà sit Jösephi fratribus aucta domus? Monstra
quot Ægypti perhibes! quæque Ira Jehovæ! Quâm proprié in falsos
arma parata deos! Dum foedis squalet Nilus cum foetibus amnis, Et
necis est auctor queîs modo numen erat. Immeritos Danaûm casus,
Priamique dolemus Funera, nec vel adhuc ossa quieta, senis? Fata

Melesigensæ querimur, mentitaque facta Hectoris incertas ad Simoëntis
aquas? Eruis hæc veteris scabrâ è rubigine famæ, Dasque operis vati
jusque decusque sui, Magna tuis affers monumentaque clara triumphis,
Cum Trojâ æternum quòd tibi nomen erit! Ah! ne te extremâ cesset
coluisse senectâ, (Aspicere heu! nimiæ quem vetuere moræ,) Qui puer,
atque infans prope, te sibi sensit amicum, Eque tuis sophiæ fontibus
hausit aquas! Imagis, et, puræ quæcunque aptissima vitæ Præmia
supplicibus det Deus ipse suis, Hæc pete rite seni venerando, Musa;
quod Ille Nec spe, nec famâ, ditior esse potest. Innumeris longùm
gratus societur amicis, Inter Etonenses duxque paterque viros: Felix
intersit terris: superûmque beato Paulisper talem fas sit abesse choro.
* * * * *
INSCRIPTION
ON
MR. BRYANT'S MONUMENT,
IN
CYPENHAM CHURCH.
* * * * *
M--S
JACOB BRYANT
Collegii Regalis apud Cantabrigienses Olim Socii Qui in bonis quas ibi
hauserat artibus excolendis consenuit. Erant in eo plurimæ literæ nec
eæ vulgares, Sed exquisitæ quædam et reconditæ, quas non minore
Studio quam acumine ad illustrandam S.S veritatem adhibuit: Id quod
testantur scripta ejus gravissima, tam in Historiæ sacræ primordiis
eruendis quam in Gentium Mythologiâ explicandâ versata. Libris erat
adeo deditus Ut iter vitæ secretum iis omnino deditum; Præmiis
honoribusque quæ illi non magis ex Patroni nobilissimi gratiâ quam

suis meritis abunde præsto erant, usq; præposuerit. Vitam integerrimam
et verê Christianam Non sine tristi suorum desiderio, clausit Nov. 13.
1804. Anno Ætatis suæ 89.
* * * * *
PREFACE.
[Greek: Naphe, kai memnas' apistein; arthra tauta tôn
phrenôn.]----EPICHARMUS.
It is my purpose, in the ensuing work, to give an account of the first
ages, and of the great events which happened in the infancy of the
world. In consequence of this I shall lay before the reader what the
Gentile writers have said upon this subject, collaterally with the
accounts given by Moses, as long as I find him engaged in the general
history of mankind. By these means I shall be able to bring surprising
proofs of those great occurrences, which the sacred penman has
recorded. And when his history becomes more limited, and is confined
to a peculiar people, and a private dispensation, I shall proceed to shew
what was subsequent to his account after the migration of families, and
the dispersion from the plains of Shinar. When mankind were
multiplied upon the earth, each great family had, by [3]divine
appointment, a particular place of destination, to which they retired. In
this manner the first nations were constituted, and kingdoms founded.
But great changes were soon effected, and colonies went abroad
without any regard to their original place of allotment. New
establishments were soon made, from whence ensued a mixture of
people and languages. These are events of the highest consequence; of
which we can receive no intelligence, but through the hands of the
Gentile writers.
It has been observed, by many of the learned, that some particular
family betook themselves very early to different parts of the world, in
all which they introduced their rites and religion, together with the
customs of their country. They represent them as very knowing and
enterprising; and with good reason. They were the first who ventured
upon the seas, and undertook long voyages. They shewed their

superiority and address in the numberless expeditions which they made,
and the difficulties which they surmounted. Many have thought that
they were colonies from Egypt, or from Phenicia, having a regard only
to the settlements which they made in the west. But I shall shew
hereafter, that colonies of the same people are to be found in the most
extreme parts of the east; where we may observe the same rites and
ceremonies, and the same traditional histories, as are to be met with in
their other settlements. The country called Phenicia could not have
sufficed for the effecting all that is attributed to these