The singular privileges, which our kings formerly granted to the university of Paris, the mother and inodel of all others, arose from the same principle; and the reputation which it has acquired to itsel and the kingdon, throughout the whole Christian world, shews, that the kings, who have been our founders, have not been mistaken in their views, and that all heir expectations have been more than fulfilled. And chus it will be in all ages. Arts and sciences will always flourish in the states where they are honoured; and in return, they will reflect infinite honour upon the states and princes, who give them encouragement, I cannot here avoid inserting a fact which lately happened, and almost within our own view; a fact which deserves to be celebrated in all languages, and inscribed in shining characters in all records of literature. It is what passed in England at the interment of the Famous Sir Isaac Newton, the Archimedes of our age, both for the sublimity of his reasonings in theory, and the force of his industrious and inventive genius in practice. I shall only transcribe what is said upon this subject, in the beautiful panegyric made upon him by M. de Fontenelle, with his usual eloquence, at the opening of the academy of sciences in the year 1727.

"His body was exposed upon a bed of state in the Jerusalem chamber, a place from whence persons of "the highest rank, and sometimes crowned heads, are carried to their graves. He was conveyed thence "into Westminster Abbey, the pall being supported by my Lord Chancellor, the Dukes of Montrose and Roxburgh, and the Earls of Pembroke, Sussex, "and Macclesfield. These six English peers, who "discharged this solemn office, give room to judge, "what a number of persons of distinction must have

ter read the service, attended by the whole clergy of "the church. The body was interred near the en"trance into the choir. We must go back to the an"cient Greeks, if we would find examples of a like " veneration paid to learning. Sir Isaac Newton's "family copies still nearer the example of Greece, by

a monument they are about to erect for him, which "will cost a considerable sum. The Dean and Chap❝ter of Westminster have allowed it to be raised in a part of the Abbey which has often been refused to "noblemen of the first rank. No country or family though he had chosen them, could have expressed more gratitude to his memory.

I have no need to ask pardon for this digression Whoever has the least regard for the public good and the honour of learning, cannot but be very much affected with this kind of solemn homage, which the nobility of a powerful kingdom, as it were in the nam of the whole nation, pays to learning and merit. III. OF THE MEASURES OF TIME AND PLACE AND OF ANCIENT COINS.

I add this article, not with a design to enter int the discussion of these points, which are generally ver difficult, but to give youth a slight knowledge of them and to lay before them a table of the different sums which often occur in authors, and which of themselve do not present to the mind any clear idea of their va lue. The elder [ƒ] Pliny says, that Roscius, the mos famous actor of his time, gained five hundred thou sand sestertia a year. Apud majores Roscius histri H. S. quingenta annua meritâsse proditur. We rea in [g] Paterculus, that Paulus Æmilius brought tw hundred millions of sestertia into the public treasury Bis millies centies H. S. ærario contulit. Youth d not expressly know the value of these sums. table informs them at one cast of their eye, that th first sum amounts to six hundred and twenty-fiv thousand livres, and the second to twenty-five mil lions of our money. [g] Lib. i. cap. 9.

[ƒ] Lib. vii. cap. 39.

Th

བ་ས་ པ་་

which were celebrated in Peloponnesus, near the city of Pisa, otherwise called Olympia. The first Olympiad, in which Choræbus carried the prize, begun, according to Usher, in the summer of the year of the world 3228.

According to the same Usher, Rome was built a ittle before the beginning of the eighth Olympiad, n the year of the world 3256, at the time that the great empire of the Assyrians was destroyed by the death of their last king Sardanapalus, when Joatham reigned at Jerusalem, and consequently in the days of Isaiah. From the foundation of Rome to the battle of Actium, are reckoned seven hundred and twentyhree years.

2. Measures of Roads.

A point is the smallest part that can be described. Twelve points make a line.

Twelve lines make an inch.

Twelve inches make a foot.

Two feet and a half make the common pace. Two common paces, or five feet, make the geomerical pace.

This being supposed, the most noted itinerary meaure stands thus.

The stadium was peculiar to the Greeks, and conisted of a hundred and twenty-five geometrical paces; and consequently twenty of them must go to a comnon French league, which consists of two thousand Five hundred paces.

The mile, among the Romans, consisted of eight stalia, or a thousand geometrical paces; somewhat less han half a league.

The league of the ancient Gauls is one thousand

The parasanga of the Persians is ordinarily thirty stadia, that is a league and an half. Some of them from twenty to sixty stadia.

The most common schanos of the Egyptians is forty stadia, or two leagues. There are of them from twenty to a hundred and twenty stadia.

The common league of France is two thousand five hundred paces. The small one two thousand paces, and the great one three thousand. When we mention the leagues of France, we usually understand the com

mon ones.

3. Of ancient Coins.

The Attic drachma, which answers to the Roman penny, must serve us for a rule whereby to know the value of all the other coins. M. de Tillemont make it amount to twelve sols of French money; F. Lam to near eight; and M. Dacier to ten. I shall adher to this last opinion, without enquiring into the reason of these differences, only because this manner of reck oning is the most easy, and consequently most prope for young people. I here fix the French mark at sever and twenty livres, which is looked upon by most na tions of Europe as the intrinsic value of the silver. Greek Coins.

The Attic obolus is the sixth part of an Atti drachma.

The Attic drachma contains six oboli. It answe to the Roman penny, and is worth six French sols. The Attic mina is equivalent to an hundred drach mas, and consequently fifty French livres.

The Attic talent is equivalent to sixty mine, an is consequently three thousand French livres.

Myriad is a Greek word, which signifies ten tho sand. Thus a myriad of drachmas signifies ten tho sand drachmas, and is of equal value with five tho sand livres.

The Attic stater was a golden coin that weighe two drachmas, equal in value to twenty drachmas

Roman Coins.

The Roman as, called otherwise libra or pondo, vas originally the tenth part of the Roman penny, or denarius.

The small sesterce, sestertius, or nummus, was the ourth part of the Roman penny, and equivalent to wo French sols and an half. It was at first marked hus L-L-S, as being equal in value to two asses, or wo pounds and a half; sestertius is for semistertius, or three, lacking a half. At length the scribes put an H nstead of the L-L, and marked the sesterce thus, HS.

The denarius or penny, was a small piece of silver, equal in value to ten asses, four sesterces, and consequently ten French sols.

The great sesterce, or sestertium in the neuter, signifies a sum of equal value with a thousand small seserces, two hundred and fifty Roman pence, and a undred and twenty-five French livres.

This last sum was differently reckoned. Decem sesertia, ten great sesterces, or ten thousand small ones. By the adverb decie sestertiûm was here understood enties; it was therefore a thousand great sesterces, or a million small ones; or decies centena, undertanding sestertia: or decies alone in short, and understanding centies sestertium, or centena sesertia.

The name of the golden coin was aureus or solidus, nd is generally judged by authors to amount in value o twenty-five silver pence.

The proportion of gold to silver has been different t all times. We may keep to that of ten to one for ur reckoning in antiquity. Thus a talent of silver

mounted to three thousand livres a talent of gold to