"their greatest advantages from their water " and palm trees." But if the country was ever fo bad, one would think it fhould be for the interest of the neighbouring princes and ftates at any hazard to root out fuch a peftilent race of robbers: and actually it hath several times been attempted, but never accomplished. They have from first to laft maintained their independency, and notwithstanding the most powerful efforts for their deftruction, ftill dwell in the presence of all their brethren, and in the prefence of all their enemies.

We find that in the time of Mofes, they were grown up into twelve princes according to their nations; (Gen. XXV. 16.) and they dwelt (faith Mofes, ver. 18.) from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goeft towards Affyria: but yet we do not find that they were ever fubject to either of their powerful neighbours, the Egyptians or Affyrians. The conquests of Sefoftris, the great king of Egypt, are much magnified by Diodorus Siculus; and probably he might fubdue some of the western provinces

(9) Diod. Sic. Lib. 1. p. 36. Edit. Stephan. p. 52. Edit. Rhodomani.

(1) Diod. Sic. Lib. 2. p. 79. Edit Stephan.p.111 Edit.Rhod.

of

(2) Αραβίοι δε εδαμα κατη χέσαν επι δελοσυνη Πέρσησι, αλλα ξείνοι εγένοντο, παρέντες Καμβύσεα ἐπ Αιγυπίον. αεκονTwo yag. Agabins, en av eoßaλ

λοιεν

of Arabia bordering upon Egypt, but he was obliged, as (9) Diodorus informs us, to draw a line from Heliopolis to Pelufium, to fecure Egypt from the incurfions of the Arabs. They were therefore not fubjects, but enemies to the Egyptians; as they were likewise to the Affyrians, for they affifted (1) Belefis and Arbaces in overturning that empire, affifted them not as fellow-rebels, but as an independent ftate with their auxiliary forces.

The next great conquerors of the east were Cyrus and the Perfians; but neither he nor any of his fucceffors ever reduced the whole body of the Arabs to fubjection. They might conquer fome of the exterior, but never reached the interior parts of the country: and Herodotus, the hiftorian who lived nearest to those times, faith exprefly, that (2) the Arabs were never reduced by the Perfians to the condition of subjects, but were confidered by them as friends, and opened to them a paffage into Egypt, which without the affiftance and permiffion of the Arabs would have been utterly

λοιεν Πέρσαι εις Αιγυπίον. Arabes nunquam a Perfis in fervitutem redacti funt, fed hofpites extiterunt; quum Cambyfi aditum in Egyptum permififfent: 4

impracticable;

quibus invitis haudquaquam fuiffent ingreffi Perfæ Ægyptum. Herod. Lib. 3. Sect. 88. p. 198. Edit. Gale.

(3) Ibid.

impracticable; and in (3) another place he faith, that while Phoenicia, Palestine, Syria and the neighbouring countries were taxed, the Arabian territories continued free from paying any tribute. tribute. They were then regarded as friends, but afterwards they affifted with their forces (4) Amyrtæus king of Egypt against Darius Nothus, and (5) Euagoras king of Cyprus against Artaxerxes Mnemon; fo that they acted as friends or enemies to the Perfians, juft as they thought proper, and as it fuited their humor or their interest.

Alexander the great then overturned the Perfian empire, and conquered Afia. The neighbouring princes fent their embaffadors to make their fubmiffions. The (6) Arabs alone difdained to acknowlege the conqueror, and fcorned to fend any embaffy, or to take any notice of him. This flight provoked him to fuch a degree, that he meditated an expedition against them; and the great preparations which

(3) Ibid. Sect. 91. p. 199.πλην μοίρης TNS Agabian (Tavτα γαρ ην ατελεα). -præter Arabum partem (hæc enim erat immunis.)

(4) Diodorus Siculus. Lib. 13. P. 355. Edit. Stephani. Tom. 2. p 172. Edit. Rhodomani. Prideaux Connect. Part 1. B. 6. Anno. 410.

he

(5)Diodorus Siculus. Lib. 15. p. 459. Edit. Stephani. Tom. 2. p. 328. Edit. Rhodomani. Prideaux Connect Part 1.B.7.An. 386.

(6) Strabo. Lib. 16. p. 1076. & 1132. Edit. Amftel. 1707. Arrian. Lib. 7. p. 300. Edit. Gronovii.

(7) Diodorus Siculus. Lib. 19. p. 722. &c. Edit. Stephani. Tom.

he made for it, fhowed that he thought them a very formidable enemy: but death intervened, and put an end to all that his ambition or refentment had formed against them. Thus they happily escaped the fury of his arms, and were never fubdued by any of his fucceffors. Antigonus, one of the greatest of his fucceffors, (7) made two attempts upon them, one by his general Athenæus, and the other by his own fon Demetrius, but both without fuccefs; the former was defeated, and the latter was glad to make peace with them, and leave them at their liberty. Neither would they fuffer the people employed by Antigonus, to gather the bitumen on the lake Afphaltites, whereby he hoped greatly to increase his revenue. The Arabs fiercely attacked the workmen and the guards, and forced them to defift from their undertaking. So true is the affertion of (8) Diodorus, that "neither the Affyrians formerly, nor the kings "of the Medes and Perfians, nor yet of the

Tom. 2. p. 730. &c. Edit. Rhodomani.

"Macedonians,

nec Affyrii olim, nec Medi ac Perfæ, imo nec Macedonum (8) xâ' oi Accugios To Taλai- reges fubigere illos potuere; or, 20' oi Mndwv na pow qui licet magnis in eos copiis ET & Maxedorur Baothers ndu- moverint, nunquam tamen inminoar autes naтadeλwaodai, cepta ad finem perduxere. Diod. wonhas per nas pegañas dura-Sic. Lib. 2. p. 92. Edit. Steph. μεις επ' αυτές αγάγοντες, εδέποτε p. 131. Edit. Rhod.

δε τας

επιβολάς συντελέσαντες.

(9) Plutarch

cr

Macedonians, were able to fubdue them; nay tho' they led many and great forces against them, yet they could not accomplish "their attempts." We find them afterwards fometimes at peace, and fometimes at war with the neighbouring states; fometimes joining the Syrians, and fometimes the Egyptians; fometimes affifting the Jews, and fometimes plundering them; and in all respects acting like a free people, who neither feared nor courted any foreign power whatever.

The Romans then invaded the eaft, and fubdued the countries adjoining, but were never able to reduce Arabia into the form of a Roman province. It is too common with hiftorians to say that fuch or fuch a country was conquered, when perhaps only part of it was fo. It is thus that (9) Plutarch afferts that the Arabs fubmitted to Lucullus; whereas the most that we can believe is, that he might fubdue fome particular tribes; but he was recalled, and the command of the Roman army in Afia was