as far fuperior to every body else in prophetic knowledge, and files him oχ' αριςος : Καλχας Θεσορίδης οιωνοπόλων οχ' άριτος, Ος ηδη τα τ' εοντα, τα τ' εσσομενα, προ τ εονται So on the Trojan fide Helenus is fpoken of in the fame light: + Πριαμίδης Ελενος οιωνοπόλων οχ αριςος. • So | Φωκιων σχ' αριςον, Η Αιτωλών οχι αριςος, and § Τυχίος-Σκυτι τομων οχ ορισος ο In these and in all other inftances of this term occurring in Homer, it is obfervable, that it is always in the fame acceptation, and uniformly precedes the fame word, agros. It is indeed to be found in the poetry afcribed to **Orpheus: but as those verses are manifeftly imitations of Homer, we must not look upon it as a current term of the times, when that poetry was compofed: nor was it ever, I believe, in common ufe, not even in the age of Homer. It wan an Amonian term, joined infeparably with another borrowed from the fame people. For agros was from Egypt, and Chaldea. Indeed most of the irregular degrees of comparison are from that quarter; being derived from the Sun, the great deity of the pagan world, and from his titles and properties. Both αρείων and were from agns, the Arez of the east. From Bel, and Baaltis, came CeλTY, and Geλtisos: αρκείνων is an inflection from Amon. From the god Aloeus came Aros, λωιτερες, and λωισος : from κερεν changed to κέρας, κερατος, were formed κρέσσων, κρείσσων, κρατερος, and κρατιςος. 081505 With regard to the word Ai, or Aia, we are told that it fignifies a diftrict or province; and as moft provinces in Egypt were infular, it is often taken for an island. In other parts it was much of the fame purport as aid of the Greeks, and betokened any region or country. It was from hence, that fo many places have been represented by the Greeks as plurals, and are found to terminate in ai; fuch as, Athenai, Thebai, Phærai, Patrai, Amyclai, Theraphai, Clazomenai, Celanai. There are others in ia; as Choeroneia, Coroneia, Eleia. In others it was rendered fhort; as in Oropia, Ellopia, Ortygia, Olympia, Æthiopia, Scythia, Cœnia, Icaria. It is likewife found expreffed by a fingle letter, and ftill fubjoined to the proper name: hence we meet with Etna, Arbela, Lariffa, Roma, Himera, Hemera, Nufa, Nyffa, Patara, Arena +t, Cabafa, and the like. We may from hence prove, and from * Iliad. A. V. 69. Iliad. O. V. 282. Iliad. Z. V. 76. Λεύσσει, όπως οχι αρίςα μετ' αμφοτέροισι γενηται. Alfo Odyff. . V. 123. and 2. V. 428. Iliad. P. V. 307. It occurs in other places : ** In the hymn to Silenus that god is called Envwv ox' agigs. And in the poem de Lapidibus, the Poet Speaking of heroic perfons, mentions their reception in heaven: Αμώμητοι Διος οίκος Χαίροντας δεξαντο θεηγενεων οχ' αφίσες. Hymn 35. v. 2. and wagi Aidov. Proem. v. 14. tt The Ionians changed this termination into ». rene, Arface, Same, Capiffene, Thebe, &c. innumerable innumerable other inftances, that, among the people of the eaft, as well as among other nations, the word in Regimine' was often final. Thus the land of Ion was termed Ionia: that of Babylon, Babylonia: from Affur came Affyria: from Ind, India: from Lud Ludia: in all which the region is specified by the termination. To fay Lydia Tellus, Affyria Tellus, is in reality redundant. In the name of Egypt this term preceded; that country being ftiled Ai-Gupt, Ayurros, the land of the Gupti, called afterwards Cupti, and Copti. Our Author, under the head of common names relating to places, has a long and curious article upon the word Gau, expreffed Cau, Ca, and Co; and which fignifies a house. Befides the many inftances that are produced of the occurrences of this word in ancient names, Mr. Bryant has taken occafion, incidentally, to fhew, that Gaugamela and Arbela, (which have been supposed to be different cities, at the distance of five or fix hundred Stadia, and at each of which the great decifive battle between Alexander and Darius is exprefsly faid to have been fought,) were, in fact, one and the fame place. Arbela was probably the city, and Gaugamela the temple; both facred to the fame deity under different names. Another obfervation which we meet with, is, that it is of great confequence towards decyphering the mythology of ancient times, to take notice, that the Grecians often mistook the place of worship for the deity worshipped. The names of many gods are in reality the names of temples where they were adored. Artemis was Ar-Temis, the city of Themis, or Thamis; the Thamuz of Sidon and Egypt. This the Greeks expreffed Aprεuis, and made it the name of a goddess. Kir-On was the city and temple of the fun in Cyprus, and other places. They changed this to Kironus, which they contracted Cronus and out of it made a particular god. From ChaOpis they formed a king Cheops; from Cayfter, the same as Ca-After, they fancied a hero, Cayftrius; from Cu-Bela, Cybele; from Cu-Baba, Cybebe. Cerberus, the dog of hell, was denominated from Kir-Abor. Concerning the term Coel in Ennius, Ianus Gulielmus obferves, that this poet copied the Dorians in ufing abbreviations, and writing Col for Coelus and Coelum. But herein, fays Mr. Bryant, this learned perfon is miftaken. The Dorians were not fo much to be blamed for their abbreviating, as the other Greeks were for their unneceffary terminations, and inflections. The more fimple the terms, the more ancient and genuine we may for the most part efteem them and in the language of the Dorians we may perceive more terms relative to the true mythology of the country, and those rendered more fimilar to the ancient mode of expreffion, than are elsewhere to be found. We We must therefore, in all etymological inquiries, have recourfe to the Doric manner of pronunciation, to obtain the truth. The Author concludes his account of radicals with confidering the particles Al and Pi, which are to be found in the compofition of many ancient terms. We fhall juft take notice, that the Sun being called Melech Pi-Adon, and Anac Pi-Adon, the Greeks out of Pi-Adon formed IIaidov. Hence we read of παιδων Λητος, παίδων Ζηνος, παίδων Απόλλωνος, and legends of παιδων αθανατων ; and of παίδων, who were mere foundlings ; whofe fathers could never be ascertained, though divine honours were paid to the children.-From this mistake arose so many Boy-Deities; among whom were even Jupiter and Dionufus. Phaethon alfo, a much mistaken perfon, was an ancient title of the Sun, a compound of Phi-Ath-On. The terms which Mr. Bryant has treated of under the head of Radicals, feem continually to occur in the ancient Amonian Hiftory. Out of thefe, he thinks, moft names are compounded; and into these they are easily refolvable. He could with that his learned readers would fo far afford him credit, as to defer paffing a general fentence, till they have perufed the whole. Many pofitions, which may appear doubtful, when they are first premifed, will, he hopes, be abundantly proved, before we come to the close. The chief proof will refult from an uniform feries of evidence, fupported by a fair and uninterrupted analogy. From the fubject of Radicals, our ingenious Writer proceeds to the confideration of Etymology, as it has been too generally handled; and justly cenfures the Greeks, as being fo prepoffeffed with a notion of their own excellence and antiquity, that they fuppofed every ancient tradition to have proceeded from themfelves. Hence their Mythology is founded upon the groffeft mistakes: as all extraneous hiftory, and every foreign term is imagined by them to have been of Grecian original. Many of their learned writers had been abroad; and knew how idle the pretenfions of their countrymen were. Plato, in particular, faw the fallacy of their claim. He confeffes it more than once: yet in this article nobody was more infatuated, His Cratylus is made up of a moft abfurd fyftem of etymology. Herodotus exprefsly fays, that the gods of Greece came in great meafure from Egypt. Yet Socrates is by Plato, in this trea tife, made to derive Artemis from To apтEMEs, integritas: Pofeidon from ποσι δεσμον, fetters to the feet: Heftia from ουσία, fubftance and effence: Demeter from didaura ws μητέρα diftributing as a mother: Pallas from aλ, to vibrate, or dance; Ares, Mars, from apper, mafculum, et virile: and the word Theos, God, undoubtedly the Theuth of Egypt, from bev, to run. Innumerable derivations of this nature are to be found in Ariftotle, Plato, Heraclides Pontus, and other Greek writers.' There There is a maxim laid down by the fcholiaft upon Diony fius: If the term be foreign, it is idle to have recourfe to Greece for a folution. Mr. Bryant obferves that it is a plain and golden rule, pofterior in time to the writers above, which, however, common fenfe might have led them to have anticipated, and followed; but it was not in their nature. The perfon who gave the advice was a Greek, and could not for his life abide by it. Even Socrates is made to fay fomething very like the above. And yet Plato, who attributes this knowledge to Socrates, makes him continually act in contradiction to it. The ancients in all their etymologies were guided folely by the ear; and in this they have been implicitly copied by the moderns. Here our Author paffes fome ftrictures upon Heinfius, Cumberland, Hyde, Huetius, and others; nor does the great Bochart escape his cenfure. It must be acknowledged, fays he, of Bochart, that the fyftem, upon which he has proceeded, is the most plaufible of any and he has fhewn infinite ingenuity and learning. He every where tries to support his etymologies by fome hiftory of the place, concerning which he treats. But the misfortune is, that the names of places, which feem to be original, and of high antiquity, are too often deduced by him from circumftances of later date; from events in after ages. The hiftories, to which he appeals, were probably not known, when the country, or ifland, received its name. He likewife allows himself a great latitude in forming his derivations: for, to make his terms accord, he has recourse not only to the Phenician language, which he fuppofes to have been a Dialect of the Hebrew; but to the Arabian, Chaldaic, and Syriac, according as his occafions require.-In fhort, Bochart, in most of his derivations, refers to circumftances too general.' How very cafual and indeterminate the references were by which this learned man was induced to form his etymologies, is pointed out, by Mr. Bryant, in several inftances. The difcourfe on Etymology is fucceeded by a differtation. upon the Helladian and other Grecian writers, in which our Author informs us of the fources from whence his materials are drawn. All knowledge of Gentile antiquity must be derived to us through the hands of the Grecians: and there is not of them a fingle writer, to whom we may not be indebted for fome advantage. The Helladians however, from whom we might expect moft light, are to be admitted with the greatest caution. Hence the fureft resources are from Greeks of other countries. Among the poets, Lycophron, Callimachus, and Apollonius Rhodius are principally to be efteemed.-Homer likewife abounds with a deal of myfterious lore, borrowed from the ancient Amonian theology.-To these may be added fuch Greek writers of later date, who were either not born in Hellas, or were not fo deeply tinctured with the vanity of that country, Much light may be alfo obtained from thofe learned men by whom the Scholia were written.-Nonnus too, who wrote the Dionyfiaca, is not to be neglected.-Porphyry, Proclus, and Jamblichus may be added, who profeffedly treat of Egyptian learning. But the great refource of all is to be found among the later antiquaries and hiftorians. Many of thefe are writers of high rank; particularly Diodorus, Strabo, and Paufanias, on the Gentile part; and of the Fathers Theophilus, Tatianus Athenagoras, Clemens, Origenes, Eufebius, Theodoretus, Syncellus; and the compiler of the Fafti Siculi, otherwife called Chronicon Pafchale. Most of these were either of Egypt or Afia. They had a real tafte for antiquity; and lived at a time when fome infight could be obtained for till the Roman empire was fully established, and every province in a state of tranquillity, little light could be procured from thofe countries whence the Mythology of Greece was derived.-In the course of the differtation, Mr. Bryant mentions the other helps to which he has been indebted. With regard to the native Helladians, he reprefents them as very limited in their knowledge; as taking in the gross whatever was handed down by tradition; and as affuming to themfelves every history which was imported and in these respects he gives a fevere character of their writers, while he does justice to the beauty of their compofition. Our Author acknowledges that it may appear ungracious, and that it is far from a pleafing tafk to point out blemishes in a people of fo refined a turn as the Grecians, whofe ingenuity and elegance have been admired for ages. But he finds it abfolutely neceffary to fhew their prejudices and mistakes, in order to remedy their failures. Accordingly he fupports his charge against them at full length, and in a very convincing manner. At the fame time, he propofes to make no fmall ufe of them in the progrefs of his undertaking. We are next presented with fome neceffary rules and obfervations in respect to etymological inquiries; and for the better understanding the mythology of Greece. Among other remarks, Mr. Bryant expreffes his difapprobation of deducing etymologies from roots. Thofe who impofed the ancient names. of places and perfons, never thought of a root; and probably did not know the purport of the term. Whoever, therefore, in etymology has recourfe to this method of investigation, feems to act like a perfon, who fhould feek at the fountain-head for a city, which stood at the mouth of a river.. This article is followed by a fhort account of the Helladians, and their origin, in order to obviate fome objections. As the Author's Syftem depends greatly upon this point, he in fome degre anticipates his fubject, to fhew, that the Helladians were |