when analyzed, if it be a legitimate Com- Ch. II.

WHEN things change by uninterrupted Continuity, as (to ufe an idea already fuggefted) the fplendor of the Day to the darkness of the Night, 'tis hard to decide precisely, where the one concludes, and the other commences. By parity of reafoning 'tis difficult to determine, to what age we fhall adjudge the two Philofophers just mentioned; whether to the Commencement of a bafer age, or rather (if we regard their merit) to the Conclufion of a purer. If we arrange them with the Conclufion, 'tis, as Brutus and Caffius were called the last of the Romanst.

WE can have lefs doubt about the disciple of Ammonius, JOHN THE Gram

See Fabr. Biblioth. Græc. T. IV. p. 161.

+ See Tacit. Annal. IV. 34.

MARIAN,

P. III MARIAN, called PHILOPONUS from his love of labour. 'Twas his misfortune to live during the time of Mahomet, and to Lee Alexandria taken by the Arms of one of his immediate Succeffors. What past there on this occafion with regard to the Library, tho' recorded in modern Books, is too curious to be omitted here. I tranflate it from the accurate verfion of Abulpharagius's Hiftory, made by that able Orientalift, Pococke.

"WHEN Alexandria was taken by the "Mahometans, AMRUS, their Commander, found there PHILOPONUS, whofe con"versation highly pleased him, as Amrus was a lover of Letters, and Philoponus a learned Man. On a certain day Philoponus faid to him: You have vifited "all the Repofitories or Public Warehouses "in Alexandria, and you have fealed up "things of every fort, that are found "there. As to those things, that

may

be

useful

useful to you, I prefume to say nothing; Ch. II.

"but as to things of no fervice to You,

Some of them perhaps may be more fuitable "to ME. Amrus faid to him: And what " is it you want? The Philofophical Books (replied he) preferved in the Royal Li"braries. This, fays Amrus, is a request, "upon which I cannot decide. You defire

a thing, where I can iffue no orders, "till I have leave from Omar, the Com“mander of the Faithful. Letters were

accordingly written to Omar, informing him of what Philoponus had faid, " and an Answer was returned by OMAR

to the following purport.—" As to the "Books, of which you have made mention,

if there be contained in them, what ac"cords with the Book of God (meaning "THE ALCORAN) there is without them, " in the Book of God, all that is fufficient. "But if there be any thing in them re

66

pugnant to that Book, we in no respect "want them. Order them therefore to be

" all

254

P. III. " all deftroyed. Amrus upon this ordered "all

"them to be dispersed thro' the Baths of "Alexandria, and to be there burnt in "making the Baths warm. After this "manner, in the space of fix months, "they were all confumed."

THE Hiftorian, having related the Story, adds from his own feelings, HEAR WHAT WAS DONE, AND WONDER*.

THUS ended this noble Library; and thus began, if it did not begin sooner, the Age of Barbarity and Ignorance.

*Vid. Abulpharagii Dynafliar. p. 114. Oxoñ. 1663. The Reader will here obferve, that in the many Quotations, which we fhall hereafter make from Abulpbaragius, we fhall always quote from the fame Edition; that is, from the Latin Verfion of the learned Pocock, fubjoined to the original Arabics

СНАР.

CHA P. III.

Digreffion to a fhort Hiftorical Account of ATHENS, from the time of her Perfian Triumphs, to that of her becoming fubject to the Turks-Sketch, during this long interval, of her Political and Literary State; of her Philofophers; of her Gymnafia; of her good and bad Fortune, &c. &c.-Manners of the prefent Inhabitants Olives and Honey.

H

AVING mentioned ATHENS, I Ch.III. hope that celebrated City will justify a Digreffion, and the more fo, as that Digreffion will terminate in Events, which belong to the very Age, of which we are now writing. But 'tis expedient to deduce matters from a much earlier period.

WHEN the Athenians had delivered themselves from the tyranny of PISISTRATUS, and after this had defeated the vast Efforts