solemnity by the Patriarchs of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem; by the Bishops of Ancyra, Larissa, Chalcedon, Adrianople, Beroa, Rhodes, Methymna, Lacedemon and Chio; and by several of the chief officers of the Greek Church in Constantinople. An edition of it in the Greek, Latin and German languages was published at Wratislaw, in octave, in 1751. An ordinance of Peter the Great, of the Patriarchs of Moscovy and the perpetual Synod, declared it to express the religious credence of the Russian Church; and that the doctrine of it should be universally followed and taught. In what is said on the inspiration of the Holy Writings, the author principally considered what has been collected on that subject by Dr. Doddridge and Calmet. He wished to see the treatise written on it by Jacquelot, the powerful antagonist of Bayle: but he could not procure that treatise. Both Catholics and Protestants speak of it in high terms of commendation.

END OF THE FIRST PART.

HORE BIBLICÆ.

PART II.

CONTAINING A CONNECTED SERIES OF NOTES ON

THE KORAN, ZEND-AVESTA, VEDAS, KINGS AND EDDA.

VOL. I.

HORE BIBLICÆ.

WITH a view to impress on the memory, the result of some miscellaneous reading on different subjects, relating to THE KORAN, THE ZENDAVESTA, THE Vedas, the KinGS AND THE EDda, -the books accounted sacred by the Mahometans, the Parsees, the Hindûs, the Chinese and the Scandinavian descendants of the Scythians, the following notes were committed to paper.

and

I. They begin with the Mahometans, offer a short view of the ancient history of the countries conquered by Mahomet and his first disciples, and the actual state of them, at that period. Under this head will be given some account of the ancient history, 1st, of Syria; 2dly, of Persia; and 3dly, of Africa; connecting the æras, mentioned in the account of Syria, with the rise and fall of Nineve, Babylon, Rome and Constantinople, to which Syria was successively subject; and the æras, mentioned in the account of Persia, with the leading events of Greece and Rome, antecedent to the same period; and, in the account of Africa, shortly

pointing out the principal occurrences in the history of that country, before its invasion by the disciples of Mahomet: II. Some mention will then be made of the events which facilitated the conquest of the east by the religion and arms of Mahomet; these are, 1st, the political weakness of the western and eastern empires; and 2dly, the religious disputes among the Christians of the east: III. Some account will then be given of the rise and first progress of the Mahometan religion; containing a view, 1st, of the Geography, 2dly, of the Early History of Arabia; 3dly, of the Hegira and the mode of computing it; and 4thly, of the extent of the conquests made by Mahomet and his immediate successors: IV. Mention will then be made of the principal Mahometan states; containing an account of the dynasties and fortunes, -1st, of the Universal Caliphs; 2dly, of the Sultans and Sophis of Persia; 3dly, of the Sultans and Mamlouc Governors of Egypt; 4thly, of the Caliphs and Sheriffs of Morocco and the States of Barbary; 5thly, of the Caliphs of Spain; 6thly, of the Mahometan Princes, who have reigned in Hindûstan; and 7thly, of the Ottoman Emperors: V. The irruptions of the Mogul Tartars under Gengiskhan and Timour into the Asiatic territories, conquered by the disciples of Mahomet, will then be mentioned: VI. Notice will then be taken of some of the principal attempts of the princes of Christendom to repel the Mahometans;