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The WORKS of the LEARNED. Art. 2. "and towards Rofetta on the other, furrounded " on all Sides by pleasant Gardens, full of the "moft delicious Fruits. The modern Alexandria "is in a Manner without Walls, ftretched along "the Sea-fide, and after gradually declining for a long Time, had well nigh funk into a Village "40 Years ago; but it is fince much recover'd, "and continues daily to increase, Experience hav"ing taught the Turks, that nothing can be more "advantageous than this, for the augmenting their "Revenue.

"The most remarkable Things in this new Ci"ty are, the Remains of thofe ancient Structures " which are yet in a Condition of being confider'd. "Among these, that which deferves first to be "taken notice of is, what the Chriftian Inhabi"tants ftile the Palace of the Father of St. Ka"therine, which is feated almoft in the middle of "the Space comprehended in the present Walls; "a most pompous Colonade of Pillars, no less ad"admirable for their Workmanship, than for "their extraordinary Height and Bigness, amufes "the Eye of the Spectator; it extends at present "500 Feet, but Numbers of the Pillars are en"tirely demolish'd; fome there are which retain "half their ancient Height, and one only is left "entire. Over-against these are found the Re"mains of another Range of Pillars, which here"tofore fronted thofe before spoken of, whence it is

probably enough conjectured, that they included "a Space of Ground 500 Foot in Front, and 200 "in Depth, in the Midft of which it is thought

there was a noble Fountain: as, from many « concurring Circumstances, inquifitive Men think 66 they have Grounds to affirm, that these were the publick Baths, built by the Romans. Over"againft this glorious Relict of ancient Architecture, ftands one of the finest Churches in Egypt, formerly

" formerly dedicated to St. Athanafius, now a Turkદર ifb Mofque: Of the Infide of this we know no"thing more than can be perceived thro' certain "Openings over the Gates. Hence we are enabled "to fay, that the Roof of it is fupported by four "Rows of Porphyry Pillars, as fair and beautiful "as can be imagined. As to the Churches, or ra"ther Chapels, in the Hands of the Chriftians, they are very far from being confiderable; and as to "the Port, all that it hath either of Safety or Beauty ❝it derives from its ancient Mafters. At prefent "there is a modern Turkish Fortification on the "Ifland where ftood the ancient Pharos, the Franks "call'd it Farillon: It is neither very ftrong nor "very beautiful, but ferves well enough for the Purpose to which it is used.

"Here are two Ports, each cover'd with a Mole. "That which is call'd the old Port is capacious as "well as very commodious and fafe; into which "only the Turkif Gallics and other Veffels are "fuffered to come. As for the new Port, it is far "from having any of these Advantages, tho' they "might be procur'd to it if the Turks would be at any Expence, which is fcarce to be expected.

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"To what has been faid, I fhall only add an Account of two Remnants of Antiquity more, the one within, the other without the Walls of Alexan"dria. The first is the Obelisk, or, as the Franks "call it, the Aiguilla, and our Sailors the Needle "of Cleopatra. There is one standing, and ano"ther lying on the Ground. That which is up" right is without a Pedestal, and in all Probabili

ty there is a great Part of it in the Earth: It is "four-fquare, pointed at Top, each Face is cover'd "with Hieroglyphicks, and the Stone of which "it is made wonderfully beautiful; what is above ground may be 58 Feet high. The other, which "is almoft buried in the Sand, lies about 12 Yards D

"farther,

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farther, and is evidently of the fame Kind. I "have seen in other Parts of Egypt, several of these Needles, and I think there is a Correspondence between the hieroglyphick Figures on the Faces of "them all.

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"The other Antiquity is the famous Pillar of "Pompey, which lies about half a Mile without the City, towards the Lake Mereotis; this is at once "the fineft aud the faireft Pillar not only in Egypt "but in the Universe. I cannot take upon me fo "much as to conjecture whether there be or be not a "Foundation for the Title given it. Whenever it ແ was erected, it certainly was the Work of a very great Architect, fince it is pleafing to the Eye of σε every Beholder, and no Critick that I know of "hath prefum'd to cenfure its Proportions, tho' it " is not reducible to any of the Orders in use amongst us. As to its Height, two French Engineers meafured it, as each of them affirm'd, very exactly while I was here: The one afferted it to be 94 "Feet high, and the other 106. Both these Peo

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ple could not be right. By my Admeasurement "it fhould be 110 of our Feet. A Mountebank, "who afcended this Pillar with marvellous Facility, "found it hollow at the Top: It may be there was

fome Image fixed thereon when it was originally fet up. The Turks, according to their old Cu"ftom, have been battering its Foundation in order

to look for Treasure, but without Succefs. One "may guess from this Monument, how far the *Skill and Addrefs of the Ancients, in thofe Sorts "of Things, tranfcends those of the Moderns, for "I never heard any Body pretend, that a Work of this Kind could be executed by any Artist "in Europe. As this Pillar is perfectly plain, there "is Reafon to believe, that it was fet up to perpe

tuate the Memory of fome extraordinary Event, which makes the Learned fo dubious as to the

" Pro

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Propriety of the Name given it, fince, in this Senfe, it seems to correfpond well enough: In "other Refpects, the Pillar might be thought to "fuit better with the Grecian Times."

ARTICLE III:

Rudiments of Ancient History, Sacred and Prophane. Containing the most material Tranfactions which have been recorded for the first four Thousand Years, from the Creation of the World, to the Birth of Chrift. By way of Question and Anfwer. Defign'd for the Use of Schools: And, tho' calculated chiefly for the Inftruction of young Gentlemen and Ladies, yet may be very ufeful for all fuch Perfons as have not Abilities to purchafe or confult the Originals. Collected and digefted from the best Authors extant, and reduced into a fmall Compass, in a familiar Style, fuitable to the meanest Capacities. By Edward Button. London: Printed for Me. Ward and Chandler, at the Ship without Temple-Bar, and fold at their Shops in York and Scarborough; and by G. Anderfon, at Gay's-Head, between the two Temple-Gates, Fleet-Street, 1739. Duodecimo. Pages 374, befides the Preface and Contents.

FR

ROM the Perufal of this Treatife (as the Compiler of it tells us) any Person who can read the Bible may be fufficiently convinced of the

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Truth

Truth and facred Authority of the firft infpired Writers; and alfo of the Prophecies therein recorded, particularly those which relate to the Coming of the bleffed Meffiah.

II. By this, People of all Perfuafions, as well Jews as Chriftians, may gain a tolerable Insight into the History of the Old Teftament, and be able to understand what is read to them in their several Affemblies for divine Worship; and alfo to explain it to their Families at Home: Of which, it may be affirmed, half Mankind are ignorant.

III. By this, the young Tyro may be enabled to form right Notions of the mythic Theology of the ancient Heathens, and to find out the true Meaning which is couched under many of thofe obfcure Fables, and poetical Fictions, which abound in the Claffics.

IV. Here any unprejudiced Reader may, without much Trouble, be fully fatisfied, that all the Edifices which were erected by the Heathens to their falfe Gods, were only faint Imitations of the Tabernacle of Mofes, and of the Temple of Solomon; and that their Altars, Sacrifices, Oracles, Veftal Fire, and all other their religious Rites and Ceremonies whatsoever, were originally taken from the primitive Manner of worshipping the true God in those two Places.

V. Our Author apprehends he need not inform thofe learned Gentlemen, who have the Care of others committed to their Charge, how useful fuch a Piece may prove to fuch of their Pupils as are defign'd for Univerfities, and whofe ripening Genius gives early Promife of their making fome Figure in the World.

VI. In short, this Syftem, as he affirms, may be of ufe to all, not only as a Guide to give them Light thro' the dark Mazes of Antiquity, but as a

Manual