22

most of which were esteemed Scythic. The peo ple of Colchis at one time carried on a great trade; and variety of inland nations came down to their marts. According to Timosthenes, they were not less than three hundred, which had each their particular language. And even afterwards, in the times of the Romans, it is said, that they were obliged to keep up an hundred and thirty interpreters to carry on traffic. Yet we are apt to speak of the Scythians collectively as of one family, and of one language, and this the Titanian or Celtic. 23 The Titan language, says Wise, was universal in Europe: the Titan language, the vehicle of all the knowledge which dawned in Europe. -The Titans, masters of all the knowledge derived from the sons of Noah. And who these Titans were, he repeatedly shews, by saying, that they were the first civilizers of mankind, and Scythians. The true Scuthai, or Scythians, were undoubtedly a very learned and intelligent people: but their

jura dixit. Plin. 1. 7. c. 24. p. 387. See Aulus Gellius. 1. 17. c. 17. There were twenty-six languages among the Albani. Strabo. 1. 11. p. 768. See also Socratis Hist. Eccles. 1. 1. c. 19. Ρ. 49. Βαρβαρων έθνη πολλα, διαφόροις χρωμένα γλώσσαις.

22 Plin. 1. 5. c. 5. p. 305. Many of these were probably only dialects. Yet there must have been in some instances a real difference of language; and consequently a distinction of people. 23 P. 56.

origin is not to be looked for in the north of Asia, and the deserts of Tartary. Their history was from another quarter, as I purpose to shew. How can we suppose one uniform language to have been propagated from a part of the world where there was such variety? And how could this language be so widely extended as to reach from Bactria to Thrace, and from thence to the extremities of Europe? What adds to the difficulty is, that all this was effected, if we may believe our author, six hundred years before Moses. Then it was, that Jupiter subdued all Europe from Thracia to Gades. As to the learning supposed to be derived from these Scythians, it is certainly a groundless surmise. The greater part of these nations, commonly styled Scythic, were barbarous to the last degree. There are no monuments, nor writings, remaining, nor any upon record, which can afford us the least idea of their being liberal, or learned. The Huns and Avares were of these parts; who over-ran the empire in the fourth century: but their character had nothing in it favourable. They were so rude in feature and figure, and such barbarians, that they were not thought 4 human. It was a common notion, that they were begotten by devils

24

24 Jornandes de Rebus Geticis. p. 104.

it

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upon the bodies of some savage hags, who were found wild in the woods. Procopius says, that they neither had letters, nor would hear of them: so that their children had no instruction. He calls them 25 ανήκοοι και αμελιτητοι ; quite deaf, and averse to all science. In short, all the Tartarian nations of " old seem to have been remarkably rude. But may be said, that the people spoken of by Pezron and Wise were of Bactria and Margiana. They may place them as they please: still they are no other than the Sacæ Nomades; a Tartarian clan, who from Strabo appear to have been in a continual roving state till they were cut off, But after all, who in their senses would think of looking for the Titans among the Tartars, or deduce all science from the wilds of Margiana? But if these countries had all the learning that ever Egypt or Greece boasted, how was it transmitted to Europe? How could it be derived to us, when so many, and such mighty, nations intervened? We have seen the plan adopted by Pezron; which was found defective from the very authorities to which he appealed; and Wise proceeds upon the same system. These were both in

25 Procopius. Bell. Goth. 1. 4. c. 3. l. 4. c. 19.

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I say of old for there have in later times been some instances to the contrary.

their time respectable persons on account of their learning but they have certainly lowered themselves by giving into these idle reveries. What can be inore fallacious than the notion adopted by 27 Wise, of the antiquity of the Scythians from the height of their ground? Which height, he says, the Scythians urged in their dispute with the Egyptians, as a chief argument of the antiquity of their nation: and the Egyptians, at least other good judges, acquiesced in the proof. The notion was, according to Justin, from whom it is borrowed, that, as the earth was once overflowed, the higher grounds emerged first, and consequently were first inhabited. And that Scythia was the higher ground, they proved from this, because all the rivers of Scythia descended from the north to the south, and ran towards Egypt. 28 Porro Scythiam adeo editiorem omnibus terris esse, ut cuncta flumina ibi nata in Mæotim, tum deinde in Ponticum, et Ægyptium mare decurrant. What a strange proof is this and what an argument to be laid before the Egyptians? They lived upon the Nile, and from the same principles might draw a different conclusion. As their river ran in a contrary direction, from south to north, they had the

same reason to 29 insist that Upper Egypt and Ethiopia were the higher grounds, and the more antient countries: and they would be so far in the right, as the earth is certainly higher as we advance towards the equator, than it is towards the poles. As to the Tanaïs running from north to south, and so entering the Palus Mæotis and Pontus Euxinus, it is well known that there are many rivers upon the coast of the Black Sea which run in various and contrary directions; consequently different countries must be equally supereminent, and have the same title to be the most antient, which is absurd and a contradiction. The learned Pezron argues no better, when he tries to shew the similitude which subsisted between the Sace and the antient Gauls. He takes notice from Herodotus that the Amyrgian Sace wore breeches like the Gauls; and, having observed that they were an enterprising people, and given an account of their dress and arms, he concludes by saying, We may, upon the whole, find in these Gomarians of Margiana the language, arms, habit, with the restless and warlike spirit of our antient Celta. Will any body take upon him to deny that they came originally from this Asiatic nation? Yet, after all, I cannot assent, for I do not see the re

29 The Egyptians did insist upon it. See Diodorus. 1. 1. p. 10.