-r AN HISTORICAL DISQUISITION

E C T. us, flourished a thousand years later. If we pushI. our inquiries concerning any point beyond the

era where written history commences, we enterupon the region of conjecture, of fable, and ofuncertainty. Upon that ground I will neither ven-ture myself, nor endeavour to conduct my .readers.In my researches concerning the intercourse betweenthe Eastern and Western regions of the earth, andconcerning the progress of that great branch oftrade, which, in every age, has contributed soconspicuously towards raising the people who carriedit on, to wealth and power, I shall confine myselfwithin the precincts I have marked out. Where-ever the inspired writers, intent upon higher objects,mention occasionally any circumstance that tendsto illustrate the subject of my inquiries, I shallattend to it with reverence. Whatever other writersrelate, I shall examine with freedom, and endea-vour to ascertain the degree of credit to whichthey are entitled.

The original station allotted to man by hisCreator, was in the mild and fertile regions of theEast. There the human race began its career ofimprovement; and from the remains of scienceswhich were anciently cultivated, as well as of artswhich were anciently exercised in India, we mayconclude it to be one of the first countries inwhich men made any considerable progress in thatcareer. The wisdom of the hast was early cele-brated 1 , and its productions were early in request

* I Kings, iv. ;v.