former, or the Olympiads, commences in the year 776 B. C.; while that of the latter dates from the foundation of Rome-according to Varro, in the year 753 B. C., and according to Cato, in the year 752 B. C.

How small a portion of the time which elapsed between the creation of the first man and the birth of Christ, is comprised in either of these eras! while the Nabonnassar era comprises even less than these, as it did not commence until the year 747 B. C.

The difficulty of computing time from the creation of the first man is very palpable, as there is no certainty concerning the time when that event took place. Many have attempted to ascertain it from the Bible, but to see how utterly these attempts have failed, we have only to mention that hundreds of learned men, and among them many eminent divines, have made the attempt, and almost all have arrived at different conclusions. I have already elucidated this assertion by examples, and will now confirm it by a few more made by Christian divines.

Clemens Alexandrinus (who lived in the second century) computes the age of the world to be, at the birth of Christ, 5627 years.

Dr. Hales' computation,

5411 ።

These different computations are surely sufficient to prove how impossible it is to arrive at the correct age of mankind at the time when Christ was born. The above table exhibits a difference of 1666 years between the longest and shortest time computed to have elapsed between these two remarkable epochs. The Rabbi Lipman makes this period even shorter than Luther has, for he computes it at 3616 years.

The Bible being the only source from which it was likely to obtain any certainty touching the period in question, it is not to be wondered at, that repeated attempts have been made, through it, to solve the question; but since so many have failed in it, there can no longer be any hope of arriving at a satisfactory solution of the problem. The diligent and almost unceasing investigations, which have been made for sixty years past, of the ancient Hindoo and Chinese works, as well as the lately-discovered method of deciphering the Egyptian hieroglyphics, cannot, in all probability, afford us any certain elucidation of this subject; yet, the information we have thus attained, and which will probably be yet more enlarged, conclusively proves to our mind that the computations giving to mankind the greatest age, are the most to be relied on.

We must observe that the sacred truths of the Bible-on which, the Christian, Jewish, and, in part, the Mohammedan religions, are founded

do not in the least depend upon the longer or shorter age given to mankind. Neither are they affected by the want of information regarding the time when the first man was created.

We also find very great differences in the computations made of the time in which the deluge of Moses occurs. According to Josephus, this remarkable event took place in the year

According to Dr. Hales, in the year

And according to Bishop Usher, in the year

3146 B. C.

3155 B. C.

2348 B. C.

Which exhibits a difference between the two latter computations of 807 years. But there can now be no doubt but that Bishop Usher's computation is incorrect; as it is in opposition to all the evidences of history.

Without mentioning any other strong and conclusive testimonies,— which will be shown in their proper places-I ask if it is not contrary to common sense, and every probability, that, in the course of only about three centuries and a half, which, according to Usher, is the time between the deluge and Abraham, so many countries could have been populated, so many cities raised, and so many social communities been formed, as we are taught by the Bible, to have existed in the time of Abraham? Yet all these things could have taken place very naturally during the longer periods which, according to the computations of Josephus and Dr. Hales, elapsed between the deluge and Abraham. The act of a British parliament, confirming the computation of Bishop Usher, cannot be taken as evidence of its correctness, because that body cannot, certainly, make any pretensions to infallibility.

The truth is, we cannot give the precise time of any historical event which occurred previous to the eighth century before the Christian era. It is, therefore, a very unnecessary labor to burthen the memory with vast numbers of incorrect chronological statements. They are only so far necessary as to present the order, as far as possible, in which events succeeded each other.

The methods of narrating ancient history are either ethnographical, or synchronistical; the former being to relate everything concerning each people and state in a continued series; and the latter, to range the history of all the nations and states treated on, under certain general epochs. The latter method will, in general, be used through this course of letters; but when it is found convenient, they will be used conjointly.

I will not forget to pay due acknowledgments to those writers whom I have consulted, nor yet forget to quote the language which I may use from others. Should this, however, be found neglected, in some instances, I trust no one will imagine that I am anxious to plume myself with the feathers of other writers.

I have now, by meandering courses, led you to the banks of the Styx;*

The river which, in accordance with Roman mythology, surrounds the regions of the dead.

and with one step more, you will be before the past generations of antiquity; but their voices will be silent, and no answers will be vouchsafed to our inquiries, unless we are aided by those illustrious necromancers, who, wielding the wand of history, can cause the shadows of the dead to speak.

LETTER XI.

ANTEDILUVIAN HISTORY.

In the foregoing letter, you will have seen that learned men materially differ in their computations of the time at which this remarkable event happened. I will here add a few more, who signally differ upon the subject.

Petavius computes that the deluge took place in the year 2327 B. C. Dr. Russell

Johannes Von Müller

66 3185 B. C. “ 3547 B. C.

Presuming that the last computation is most to be relied on,-and undoubtedly it is,—many difficulties will be obviated, which we should otherwise have to contend with in history. In that case, the Chaldean traditions, as related by Ctesias, seems more probable, and our chronology will not conflict with the inscriptions on the Egyptian monuments which refer to events that happened after that time. But were we to assume the computation of Petavius, as correct, then we should be driven to adopt the same course which other historians have done that of declaring the history of many of the Assyrian kings-as well as all those of whose existence the Egyptian monuments bear overwhelming evidences of as mere fables.

Almost all that we know of mankind previous to the deluge, is contained in the seven first chapters of Genesis, and in the mythology of several nations. Little as this is, it conveys enough for a sound reasoning mind to arrive at the truth, as far as it is necessary to be known.

Genesis, as the first book of the Pentateuch, is generally held to be the first book of Moses; but some learned men, chiefly Germans, have proved, however, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Genesis was compiled from several original records of much older date than Moses, who probably united them together. This assertion of the learned Orientalist's is confirmed indirectly by these words:-" This is the book of the generations of Adam❞—with which the fifth chapter of Genesis begins. The antiquity of those records renders Genesis of so much more authority, as it is the

production of those who lived nearer the time where these events, thus spoken of, occurred: Who created the heavens and the earth? God. From whom did the human race originate? From Adam, the man of earth, and from Eve, the mother of all living. Where was the cradle of mankind? In an enchanting garden, placed in some delicious region. These are the rational and philosophical answers given to inquiring man, by the author of Genesis, whoever he may have been. He further informs us that the tempting spirit of envy blasted the virtue of man,-that brother slew brother, and that the merciful Father of men asked not for the blood of the culprit.

The syren voice of sensual pleasures, and the promptings of unbridled passions, soon brought terrible evils upon the human family. Violence became law, and the weak man became the slave of the strong. The giant race of unchecked robbers ruled over their brethren, and enjoyed the charms of the fairest daughters of Eve. The prowess and overbearing temper of the few, awed the many; while bloody deeds and the tongue of flattery made the wicked renowned. But the masters of to-day oftentimes met with stronger men than themselves, and became the slaves of to-morrow. Brute strength and disorderly violence reigned supreme.

The reign of passion succeeded the golden age of the poets; and a part of Asia-the cradle of the human family-even at that period, probably groaned under the strifes of rivaling tyrants. Men of peaceful minds, therefore, very naturally sought for security against violence, by removing into distant countries, which may thus have received its first inhabitants. The Chinese and Hindoo records prove, satisfactorily to every unprejudiced mind, that the antiquity of these nations is very great; and, consequently, these countries must have been peopled when the world was but in its infancy.

Unquestionably mankind had arrived at no inconsiderable degree of civilization, even before the deluge. Man's restless activity had made not only inventions to promote his comfort, but also those which were serviceable in his amusements.

It is very natural that the commencement of many arts should be traced to that region which was the birthplace of the human race; but, to presume-as Boussuet, and many other eminent men have done-that some of these arts were immediately communicated to man by the Creator himself, is only a proof that judicious men will commit egregious errors, when biassed by some prepossessing idea. To become herdsmen and agriculturists, man was not in want of any immediate revelation from his Creator. That wise Being had endowed men with qualities by which they have made incomparably greater inventions-why then suppose that it was necessary for Him especially to inform them of the simple means by which they were to sustain life?

The knowledge we have of human nature, ought to teach us that no

individual is so governed by evil propensities, as that every virtue is dead within him. The seeds of virtue may lie dormant, but with the use of proper means they will spring up and bear fruit. No human heart exists that is a barren rock. We cannot therefore presume that there ever was an age when all mankind had beome so corrupt that every virtue was annihilated—the voice of nature was not silent in every mother's heart; nor did every husband hate his wife, nor every father dislike his offspring. It is impossible that the natural virtues could be extirpated without destroying the human race. Genesis does not refute this truth.

How far the human family had spread over the earth at the time of the deluge, we have no certain knowledge of; but there is no room to doubt that all the countries of Asia, south of the high mountains, and some parts of Europe and Africa, were inhabited.

I repeat, the deluge did not extend over the whole earth: and in doing so, must add, that I can prove the assertion to be true only by presuming that the deluge did take place anterior to the year 3547 B. C. But should it be conceded that this event may have happened earlier and thus before the time of the unquestionable records of the Hindoos and Chinese, then am I willing to admit the universal extension of the deluge, even while many physical objections may be brought against this assertion which it would be almost impossible to answer in a satisfactory manner.

It must not be overlooked that the traditions of the Chinese, the Hindoos, the Chaldeans, the Greeks, and some other people, allude to a deluge in which almost all mankind were destroyed, and which agrees with that taught us in the Book of Genesis. Presuming, therefore, that a longer time elapsed between the deluge and the birth of Christ, the historical objections are overruled. But Boussuet, without presuming a longer time than 2348 years to have elapsed between these two epochs, says, that "a tradition of the universal deluge is found all over the earth. The ark which contained the rescued remnant of the human family, has been spoken of in all ages in the East, and particularly in the region of its resting place, after the waters had subsided. Many other circumstances connected with this famous event, are to be found noticed in the annals and traditions of ancient nations: the dates agree, and everything corresponds, as near as can be expected in so remote a period of antiquity." But, in extenuation of this assertion, made by Boussuet, we must add, that he had no knowledge of the contradictory evidences which we are now in possession of.

The famous historian Gatterer-who has thoroughly investigated the question of a general deluge-as also Professor Cramer and several other learned men-have advanced many strong arguments against the position that such an event did take place, after the earth became the habitation of man. They, however, do not deny that some parts of the earth have been subjected to such a catastrophe, which even agrees with the results of the investigations of many eminent naturalists and geologists.