-

Another Mode is that, which I call Ge- C. VII. neral or rather Public Hiftory; a Mode, abundant in Facts, where Treaties and Alliances, Battles and Sieges, Marches and Retreats are accurately retailed; together with Dates, Defcriptions, Tables, Plans, and all the collateral helps both of Chronology and Geography.

IN this, no doubt, there is Utility. Yet the fameness of the Events resembles not a little the Sameness of Human Bodies. One Head, two Shoulders, two Legs, &c. feem equally to characterise an European and an African; a native of old Rome, and a native of Modern.

A third Species of History still behind is that, which gives a fample of SENTIMENTS and MANNERS.

Ir the account of thefe laft be faithful, it cannot fail being inftructive, fince we view thro' these the interiour of human NaB b 2

ture.

P. III. ture. 'Tis by these we perceive what fort of animal Man is; fo that while not only Europeans are diftinguished from Afiatics, but English from French, French from Italians, and (what is ftill more) every individual from his neighbour: we view at the fame time ONE NATURE, which is common to them all.

Horace informs us that a Drama, where the SENTIMENTS and MANNERS are well preferved, will please the Audience more than a POMPOUS FABLE, where they are wanting. Perhaps, what is true in Dramatic Compofition, is not lefs true in Hiftorical.

PLUTARCH, among the Greek Hiftorians, appears in a peculiar manner to have merited this praife. So likewife BoHADIN among the Arabians, and to Him.

* Sup. p. 212. in the Note.

we

we add ABUL-PHARAGIUS, and ABUL- C. VII. FEDA, from whom fo many facts in thefe Chapters are taken.

NOR ought I to omit (as I fhall foon refer to them) fome of our beft MONKISH HISTORIANS, tho' prone upon occafion to degenerate into the incredible.

As

they often lived during the times which they defcribed, 'twas natural they should paint the life and THE MANNERS, which they faw.

A SINGLE Chapter more will finish all we have to say concerning the Arabians.

P. III.

CHAP. VIII.

ARABIANS favoured MEDICINE and AsTROLOGY-facts, relative to these two Subjects they valued KNOWLEDGE, but had no Ideas of CIVIL LIBERTY -the mean Exit of their laft Caliph, MOSTASSEM- End of their Empire in ASIA, and in SPAIN―their prefent wretched degeneracy in AFRICA — an Anecdote.

HE ARABIANS favoured MEDICINE

TH

and ASTROLOGY, and many of their Princes had Profeffors of each fort usually near their perfons. Self-Love, a natural Paffion, led them to refpect the Art of Healing; Fear, another natural Paffion, made them anxious to know the Future, and Superftition believed there were men, who, by knowing the Stars, could difcover it.

WE

WE fhall first fay fomething concerning C.VIII. MEDICINE, which we are forry to couple

with fo futile an impofture.

"Tis commonly fuppofed that the Prefcriber of Medicines, and the Provider, that is to fay in common words, the Phyfician and the Apothecary, were characters anciently united in the fame perfon. The following fact proves the contrary, at leaft among the Orientals.

In an Army commanded by Aphsben, an Officer of the Caliph Al-Motaffem, it happened that Aphfhin and the Army Phyfician, Zacharias, were difcourfing together. I affert, says Zacharias, you can fend for nothing from an Apothecary, but, whether he has it or has it not, he will affirm that he has. Aphfhin, willing to make the trial, bids them bring him a catalogue of unknown people, and transcribing out of it