curring to the primitive language, and recovering the original; as the meaning would lead one to the truth. But they were too vain to be consistent even in this and what one advanced, another confounded; each thinking that he had a right to change things, and new model them to his taste. Above all things they strove to introduce their own gods and heroes; and to attribute every thing to their performance, wheresoever transacted. Their vanity was so great in this respect, and their prejudices so strong, that it led them into a thousand childish errors: but, where they were not originally mistaken, they willfully deviated; imposing names on places, and adding legendary stories, which they must know were foreign to the countries where they introduce them. Hence we are informed that one branch of the Nile was denominated from a sailor of Menelaus, and another from Peleus of Thessaly: that Perseus gave name to Persia; and that the Medes received their name from Medea; and what happened upon the occasion. For they were never guilty of a mistake, but they framed some story to support it; hence Scaliger's sarcasm; Græculorum est mentiri, et falsa venis affingere. Pliny too is very severe upon them on this head. He had often experienced their vanity and affectation, and had de

• Ammian. Marcellinus; Steph. Byzantinus &c. passim Euseb. Canon. Isagog. lib. 3.

tected their idle notions on which account he passes a bitter but just censure; 5 Mirum est quo procedat Græca credulitas! nullum tam impudens mendacium est, ut teste careat. 6 Cicero speaks to the same purpose: Tribuo illis literas, do multarum artium disciplinam :-testimoniorum religionem et fidem nunquam ista natio coluit. I know no writer of more eminence than Plutarch. He was a man of great depth in philosophy, and every species of learning; and has left behind a collection of most valuable tracts. Yet, maugre his sense and abilities, he is most shamefully trifling in the etymology of words; and, like the rest of his fraternity, is for bringing every thing within the narrow circle of his own little district. He was thoroughly acquainted with the high antiquity of Egypt: yet tells us that the goddess Isis was called so from the word iosa; that the Egyptian Anubis was derived from the Greek word aw; the antient god Orus from ipaw; and that Osiris was quasi iegos. This prurulence of wit was contagious: none of the Greeks could escape it. The liberties they took, in the etymologies of words, as well as in the inflexions, was animadverted upon by Josephus, as Bochart takes notice. 7 Ut

5 Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. 8. cap. 22. Twv de rns aλndeias isogiav 'Eλanves & peprnila. Theoph. ad Autol. lib. 3.

8

Josephus rectè observat, Græcis scriptoribus id in more est, ut peregrina et barbara nomina, quantum licet, ad Græcam formam emolliant.-Sic illis Ar Moabitarum est Αρεοπολις ; Botsra, Βυρσα; Akis, Αγχες ; Astarte, Aspoαρχη; torrens Kison, χειμαρρος των Κισσων ; torrens Kedron, ' χειμαρρος των Κέδρων, et talia ώσει κόνις. Bochart indeed speaks only of their softening and accommodating the terms: but, in reality, both the mode and essence of the words is changed; so that there remains nothing but a shadow for the substance. And Josephus shews a proper indignation in another place at their vanity; calling them to account for their high pretensions; and accusing them of having sophisticated and ruined the best of antient history. Ο Πως εν εκ αλογον τε τυφωσθαι τες Έλληνας, ὡς μονες επιςάμενες τα αρχαία, και την αλήθειαν περι αυτων ακριβως παραδίδοντας ; η τις 8 παρ' αυτών συγγραφέων μαθοι ραδίως, ότι μηδεν βεβαίως είδοτες συνεγραφον, αλλ' ὡς έκαςοι περι των πραγματων εικαζοιντο ; πλείον γεν δια των βιβλιων αλληλες ελεγχεσι, και τα εναντιώτατα περί των αυτων λεγειν εκ οκνεσι. Great part of the knowledge that we are pos

8 Περαν τε χειμαρίες των Κεδρων. Etsi in omnibus libris est hac lectio, quam et Nonnus agnoscit, tamen videtur D. Hieronymus in locis Hebraicis, ubi de Cedron agit et hunc locum citat, veram lectionem agnoscere, quæ est τε Κεδρων. Is. Casaub. nota in Joan. 18.

V. 1.

• Contra Apion. lib. 1. cap. 3.

sessed of, in relation to antient times, has been transmitted to us through the hands of the Grec ans: for which we are to make proper acknowledgments. But when we consider how much more they might have transmitted, and how foul and turbid the streams are, that are derived to us; it takes off much from the obligation. In short, there is no medium to be held with this wonderful people. One while we gaze with astonishment at their extensive parts, their exquisite taste, and the unparalleled beauty of their compositions at other times we cannot help looking down with pity and indignation, to see all these leavened and ruined by a puerility and vanity, that the Goths were strangers to. Of this unhappy turn in the best writers in Greece,

and of the fatal con

sequences in regard to historical truth, I shall often have occasion to speak in the course of the following treatise.