A New System | Page 7

Cimmerian, Hyperborean, and Amazonian nations, as well as of the people of Colchis; in which the religion, rites, and original of those nations will be pointed out. I know of no writer who has written at large of the Cyclopians. Yet their history is of great antiquity, and abounds with matter of consequence. I shall, therefore, treat of them very fully, and at the same time of the great works which they performed; and subjoin an account of the Lestrygons, Lamii, Sirens, as there is a close correspondence between them.
As it will be my business to abridge history of every thing superfluous and foreign, I shall be obliged to set aside many antient law-givers, and princes, who were supposed to have formed republics, and to have founded kingdoms. I cannot acquiesce in the stale legends of Deucalion of Thessaly, of Inachus of Argos, and, ?gialeus of Sicyon; nor in the long line of princes who are derived from them. The supposed heroes of the first ages, in every country are equally fabulous. No such conquests were ever achieved as are ascribed to Osiris, Dionusus, and Sesostris. The histories of Hercules and Perseus are equally void of truth. I am convinced, and hope I shall satisfactorily prove, that Cadmus never brought letters to Greece; and that no such person existed as the Grecians have described. What I have said about Sesostris and Osiris, will be repeated about Ninus, and Semiramis, two personages, as ideal as the former. There never were such expeditions undertaken, nor conquests made, as are attributed to these princes: nor were any such empires constituted, as are supposed to have been established by them. I make as little account of the histories of Saturn, Janus, Pelops, Atlas, Dardanus, Minos of Crete, and Zoroaster of Bactria. Yet something mysterious, and of moment, is concealed under these various characters: and the investigation of this latent truth will be the principal part of my inquiry. In respect to Greece, I can afford credence to very few events, which were antecedent to the Olympiads. I cannot give the least assent to the story of Phryxus, and the golden fleece. It seems to me plain beyond doubt, that there were no such persons as the Grecian Argonauts: and that the expedition of Jason to Colchis was a fable.
After having cleared my way, I shall proceed to the sources, from whence the Grecians drew. I shall give an account of the Titans, and Titanic war, with the history of the Cuthites and antient Babylonians. This will be accompanied with the Gentile history of the Deluge, the migration of mankind from Shinar, and the dispersion from Babel. The whole will be crowned with an account of antient Egypt; wherein many circumstances of high consequence in chronology will be stated. In the execution of the whole there will be brought many surprising proofs in confirmation of the Mosaic account: and it will be found, from repeated evidence, that every thing, which the divine historian has transmitted, is most assuredly true. And though the nations, who preserved memorials of the Deluge, have not perhaps stated accurately the time of that event; yet it will be found the grand epocha, to which they referred; the highest point to which they could ascend. This was esteemed the renewal of the world; the new birth of mankind; and the ultimate of Gentile history. Some traces may perhaps be discernable in their rites and mysteries of the antediluvian system: but those very few, and hardly perceptible. It has been thought, that the Chaldaic, and Egyptian accounts exceed not only the times of the Deluge, but the ?ra of the world: and Scaliger has accordingly carried the chronology of the latter beyond the term of his artificial[6] period. But upon inquiry we shall find the chronology of this people very different from the representations which have been given. This will be shewn by a plain and precise account, exhibited by the Egyptians themselves: yet overlooked and contradicted by the persons, through whose hands we receive it. Something of the same nature will be attempted in respect to Berosus; as well as to Abydenus, Polyhistor, and Appollodorus, who borrowed from him. Their histories contained matter of great moment: and will afford some wonderful discoveries. From their evidence, and from that which has preceded, we shall find, that the Deluge was the grand epocha of every antient kingdom. It is to be observed, that when colonies made anywhere a settlement, they ingrafted their antecedent history upon the subsequent events of the place. And as in those days they could carry up the genealogy of their princes to the very source of all, it will be found, under whatever title he may come, that the first king in every country was Noah. For as he