could not long fuftain the fhock of the true ones : These routed her army, crushing whatever came in their way. Semiramis did all that could be done, to rally and encourage her troops; but in vain.. The king, perceiving her engaged in the fight, advanced towards her, and wounded her in two places, but not mortally. The swiftnefs of her horfe foon carried her beyond the reach of her enemies. As her men crouded to the bridge, to repafs the river, great numbers of 'em perifh'd, through the disorder and confufion unavoidable on fuch occafions. When those that could fave themselves were fafely over, she destroy'd the bridge, and by that means ftopt the enemy; which the king likewife, in obedience to an oracle, had order'd not to pass the river, nor purfue Semiramis any farther. The queen, having made an exchange of prisoners at Bactra, return'd to her own dominions with fcarce one third of her army, which (according to Ctefias) confifted of three hundred thousand foot, and fifty thousand horse, besides the camels and chariots arm'd for war, of which fhe had a very confiderable number. She, and Alexander after her, were the only perfons that ever ventur'd to carry the war beyond the river Indus.

I must own, I am fomewhat puzzled with a diffi. culty which may be raised against the extraordinary things related of Ninus and Semiramis, as they don't feem to agree with the times fo near the deluge: Such vaft armies, I mean, fuch a numerous cavalry, fo many chariots arm'd with fcythes, and fuch immenfe treasures of gold and filver; all which feem to be of a later date. The fame thing may likewife be faid of the magnificence of the buildings, afcrib'd to them. 'Tis probable the Greek historians, who came fo many ages afterwards, deceiv'd by the likenefs of names, through their ignorance in chronology, and the refemblance of one event with another, may have afcribed fuch things to more ancient princes,

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pinces, as belong'd to thofe of a later date; or may have attributed a number of exploits and enterprises to one, which ought to be divided amongst a ferics of them fucceeding one another.

Semiramis, fome time after her return, discover'd that her fon was plotting against her, and one of her principal officers had offer'd him his affiftance. She then call'd to mind the oracle of Jupiter Ammon; and, taking it as a warning that her end was approaching, without inflicting any punishment on the officer, who was taken into cuftody, fhe voluntarily abdicated the throne, put the government into the hands of her fon, and withdrew from the fight of men, hoping speedily to attain to the divine honours promised her by the oracle. And indeed we are told, fhe was worshipped by the Affyrians, under the form of a dove. She lived fixty-two years, and reigned forty-two.

There are in the memoirs of the academy of po- Vol. 3. p. lite literature two learned differtations upon the Af- 343, &c. fyrian empire, and particularly on the reign and actions of Semiramis.

What Juftin fays of Semiramis, namely, that af- Lib.1.c.2. ter her husband's decease, not daring either to commit the government to her fon, who was then too young, or openly to take it herself, the governed under the name and habit of Ninyas; and that, after having reigned in that manner above forty years, falling paffionately in love with her own fon, she endeavour'd to bring him to a criminal compliance, and was flain by him: All this, I fay, is fo deftitute of all appearance of truth, that to go about to confute it would be but lofing time. It must however be own'd, that almost all the authors, who have spoken of Semiramis, give us but a difadvantageous idea of her chastity.

I don't know but the glorious reign of this queen Lib. 5 de might partly induce Plato to maintain, in his Com- Rep. p. monwealth, that women as well as men ought to be 451-457

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admitted

admitted to the management of publick affairs, the conducting of armies, and the government of ftates; and by neceffary confequence ought to be train'd up

in the fame exercises as men, as well for the forming 'FTEITE of the body as the mind. Nor does he fo much as apeTv av except those exercises, wherein it was customary to TiTi fight ftark-naked, alledging that the womens virtue αμφιέσονwould be a fufficient covering for them.

ται.

'Tis juft matter of furprise to find fo judicious a philofopher, in other refpects, openly combating the moft common and most natural maxims of modefty and decency, which virtues are the principal ornament of the fex, and infifting fo ftrongly upon a principle, fufficiently confuted by the conftant practice of all ages, and of almost all nations in the world. De cura rei Ariftotle, wifer in this than his mafter Plato, fam. 1. 1. without doing the leaft injuftice to the real merit and

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De admi

effential qualities of the fex, has with great judgment mark'd out the different ends, to which man and woman are ordained, from the different qualities of body and mind, wherewith they are endowed by the Author of nature, who has given the one ftrength of body and intrepidity of mind, that enable him to undergo the greatest hardships, and face the most imminent dangers; whilft the other on the contrary has but a weak and delicate conftitution, accompanied with a natural foftnefs and modeft timidity, which render her more fit for a fedentary life, and difpofe her to keep within the precincts of the house, and apply herself to a prudent and industrious economy.

Xenophon is of the fame fentiment with Ariftotle; niftr. dom. and in order to fet off the occupation of the wife, p. 839. who confines herself within her house, agreably compares her to the mother-bee, commonly called the king of the bees, who alone governs and has the fuperintendence of the whole hive, who diftributes all their employments, encourages their industry, prefides over the building of their little cells, takes care of the nourishment and fubfiftence of her nume

rous

rous family; regulates the quantity of honey appointed for that purpofe, and at fixed and proper feafons fends abroad the new fwarms in colonies, to eafe and discharge the hive of its fuperfluous inhabitants. He remarks, with Ariftotle, the difference of conftitution and inclinations, defignedly given by the Author of nature to man and woman, thereby to point out to each of them their proper and particular offices and functions.

This allotment, far from degrading or leffening the woman, is really for her advantage and honour, as it gives her a kind of domestic empire and government, adminifter'd only by gentlenefs, reafon, equity, and good-nature; and as it often gives her occafion to exert the most valuable and excellent qualities under the agreable veil of modesty and submiffion. For it muft ingenuously be owned, that at all times, and in all ftations, there have been women, who by a real and folid merit have diftinguished themselves above their fex; as there have been innumerable inftances of men, who by their defects have difhonoured theirs. But these are only particular cafes, of which no rule can be made, and which ought not to prevail against an establishment founded in nature, and prefcribed by the Creator himfelf.

NINYA S.

This prince was in no refpect like thofe, from Diod. 1. z. whom he received life, and to whofe throne he fuc- p. 108. ceeded. Wholly intent upon his pleasures, he kept himself fhut up in his palace, and feldom fhew'd himfelf to his people. To keep them in their duty, he had always at Nineveh a certain number of regular troops, furnished every year from the feveral provinces of his empire, at the expiration of which term they were fucceeded by the like number of other troops on the fame conditions; the king putting a commander at the head of them, on whofe fidelity

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he could depend. He made ufe of this method, that the officers might not have time to gain the affections of the foldiers, and fo form any conspiracies against him.

His fucceffors for thirty generations followed his example, and even out-did him in indolence. Their hiftory is abfolutely unknown, there remaining no footsteps of it.

In Abraham's time the fcripture fpeaks of Amra2092. Be-phael, king of Sennaar, the country where Babylon fore CHR. was fituated, who with two other princes follow'd Chedarlaomer, king of the Elamites, whofe tributary he probably was, in the war carried on by the latter against five kings of the land of Canaan. AN.MUN. 'Twas under the government of these inactive 2513. Be-princes, that Sefoftris, king of Egypt, extended his fore CHR. Conquefts fo far in the Eaft. But as his power was

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of a fhort duration, and not supported by his succes‐ fors, the Affyrian empire foon return'd to its former state.

De Leg. Plato, a curious obferver of antiquities, makes the 1.3.p.685 kingdom of Troy, in the time of Priamus, to be deAN.MUN pendant on the Affyrian empire. And Ctefias fays, fore CHR that Teutamus, the twentieth king after Ninyas, fent

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a confiderable body of troops to the affiftance of the Trojans, under the conduct of Memnon, the fon of Tithonus, at a time when the Affyrian empire had fubfifted above a thousand years; which agrees exactly with the time, wherein I have placed the foundation of that empire. But the filence of Homer concerning fo mighty a people, and which must needs have been well known, renders this fact exceeding doubtful. And it must be own'd, that whatever relates to the times of the ancient history of the Affyrians is attended with great difficulties, into which the plan I have laid down does not permit me to enter.

PUL.