My readers must by this time have perceived a great coincidence and affinity between the ancient Irish, (or Scythians) and the ancient Perfians. I am afraid the Irish were Pagans, though like the Perfians they had the knowledge of the true God: and that all that I can fay in their behalf, or Dr. Hyde in favour of the Perfians, we must allow, that the vulgar at least, were little better than Idolaters.-(i) In Ireland they were contaminated by the Tuatha Dadann.

From this digreffion we return to the Dynafties, where we fhall offer a few more ftriking coincidences of names and historical relations, and then proceed to the famous Phenian and Milefian Hiftory of the Irish.

Daghda or the deity of fire, fucceeded Luagh lamfhade. Keating calls him Daghda the great, and only fays, he reigned 70 years in Ireland; yet in all the Irish MSS. we find the defcendants of this Daghda, came to Ireland with the Tuatha Dadann. Confequently he could not have reigned in Ireland. (k)

Р

Daghda

(i) Porphyry has quoted an oracle, which, he fays, was pronounced at Delphos, of a very extraordinary nature: it runs thus.

Chaldees and Jews are wife in worshipping,

A felf begotten God, of all things King.

The Chaldees were the Magi as can be proved from Laertius ; and were undoubtedly the Magi of Ireland, known by the name of Culdee. The Perfians call thofe Magi who were employed in the Service of their Gods, (fays Dion. Chryfoftom,) but the Greeks being ignorant of the meaning of the word, apply it to fuch as are skilled in Magic, a Science unknown to the Perfians. (Dion Chr. Grat. Boriothus.)

(k) It is to be obferved, (fays Mr. Bryant,) that when Colo

nies

Daghda in Irish hiftory is the father of many Children, who with himself had the power of appearing in fire, and of commanding it to be prefent on all occafions. Dion Chryfoftom from good authorities relates what he learned of Zoroafter. It is reported, fays he, that through love of wif dom and juftice, Zoroafter (or Zerduft,) with drew himself from men, and lived alone in a certain mountain: that, afterwards leaving the mountain, a great fire defcending from above continually burned about him. Upon this the King and nobility of Perfia came and prayed with him to God, &c. (1)

Daghda was the God of the Elements (m) the God of profperity, of generation, and of vegetati

on.

Khamani, or Icheherzad, furnamed Homai, a Queen of the fecond Perfian Dynasty. Some Orientalifts fufpect no fuch Queen exifted, and the Tarikh Cozideh makes no mention of her. The Oriental writers fay that the was a great Architect, and adorned the city of Perfepolis: to her alfo is attributed a multitude of fmall Pyramids, fcattered throughout Perfia and every where overturned by the Soldiers of Alexander the Great.

About five months after her acceffion to the throne, fhe brought forth a Son, who the Aftrolo

nies went abroad and made any where a Settlement, they ingrafted upon their antecedent hiftory, the fubfequent events of the place. And as in thofe days they could carry up the Genealogies of their princes to their very Source, it will be found that the firft King in every Country, under whatever title defigned, was the Patriarch, the Father of Mankind. (See Preface.) (1) Orat. Boristhen.

(m) Collectanea, Vol. 3. p. 594.

gers

gers declared would bring great misfortunes on the Country, and they advised, he should be immediately destroyed. The tenderness of the mother would not permit Homai to follow their Coun. fels; the therefore made a little wooden Ark, and having put the child into it, fuffered the veffel to fail down the Gihon or Oxus. It is faid, Homai was with Child by her father Bahaman. The Child was found on the Water by a Dyer who nurfed and educated him: He was named Darab, which implies, possessed or found on Water. (n) Young Darab arrived at the age of maturity, determined on the profeffion of Arms, and joined the army then marching against the Greeks: he was at length discovered to be the Son of Homai, who having reigned 30 years, refigned the Diadem to him.

The Surname Homai, given to the Queen, fignifies a bird peculiar to the Eaft, which is fuppofed to fly conftantly in the air, and never to touch the ground: it is looked upon as a bird of happy omen, and that every head it overfhades will in time wear a Crown: it denotes a Phoenix, a large royal Eagle, a Pelican, and a bird of Paradife. (0)

IRISH HISTORY.

This story is told in a different manner in the Irish history, viz. Anno Mundi 3559, Macha Mong-ruadh obtained the Crown. In the Government of this Princefs the Royal Palace of Eaman was erected. There were three Irish Princes who

(n) Richardfon Differtat. p. 54

(0) Richardfon Arab. Dictionary, at Homai.

P 2

for

for a long time waged continual Wars for the Government of the Island.

Their names were Aod Ruad, Diathorba or Diarba, and Cimbaoth (Cambyfes): after wearing one another out with ftruggling, they came to an agreement, that each fhould reign fucceffively for a certain number of years.

Aod Ruad was the firft that wore the Crown, and died, leaving only a daughter behind him, named Macha Mongruadh. Diathorba next obtained the Government, and reigned the whole time; then reigned Cimbaoth his full time, and Aod Ruad having left no Son, Macha Mongruadh claimed the throne in right of her inheritance. Diathorba oppofed her, thinking himself next in fucceffion on failure of male iffue in Aod ruadh : in confequence of which, a civil war broke out. Soon after, their forces met, and Macha obtained a compleat Victory. The competitors of the Crown being apprehended, a Council was called to determine what sentence fhould be paffed upon them; and thinking the peace of the Government would never be fettled, if they were permitted to live, they condemned them all to death.

The Queen being of a merciful difpofition, interfered, and defired their lives might be faved. And being a Lover of Architecture, the propofed thefe terms that, instead of Death, their punishment fhould be, to erect a most stately Palace, where the King fhould always keep his Court. They agreed to the Condition, and the Queen undertook to draw the plan of this Structure which fhe executed with the Bodkin of her hair: becaufe, fay the modern bards, Eo is a bodkin and muin the neck, whence Eaman !!!

(p) Keating, p. 156.

Mach

Macha in Irish, fignifies a Royston crow, an ominous bird, an eagle, a pelican; Mong is the creft of a bird, the mane of a horfe, &c. and ruadh is red. Macha mong-ruadh is the bird macha, with a red creft, and certainly implies the bird of Paradise, the fame as Homai in Perfic; from hence we have the Irish word moing-realt, a comet; literally, a ftar with a red tail, or flaming creft.

If fuch a perfon as Queen Homai did exist, I am of opinion fhe adorned the city of Balch, or Baligh, which was also called Balch-Bachara, and fometimes only Bachara (a), which by fome Arab writers is faid to be fo called from Balch an Oak, but more probable from the Perf. Belgh, and the Irish Balg and Bochra, all fignifying wisdom; and this is the true meaning of Eaman or Eamainfi. (b)

In Balch-Bachra, Zerdufht is faid to have promulgated his doctrine, and then to have prophcfied of the Meffiah: conformable to this we find, in the Irish MSS. he is called the Draci or Daru of Bacra, i. e. Draoi Bachrach a Priest of Bachara. It is certain, fays Keating, (from ancient MSS.) that Bacrach a Druid (Draoi Bachrach) did prophecy and foretel, that a moft holy and divine perfon fhould be born in a wonderful manner, and be barbarously murdered by the Great Coun

(a) Sabii fculptilia colentes eadem linguâ dicebantur, Bochar, quod exponitur but-preftan; atque etiam exponitur mejama alam, i. e. Locns collectionis cientiæ: unde nominatur urbs Avicennæ. Bochara propter Doctorum Virorum ibi confluxuin. -- In Irish bochadh is to argne on a learned topic, whence bochaire a logician. Sama Olamham, i. e. Muir Olamhan, the congregation of the learned the academy of the learned. See hereefter,

(b) Hyde, p. 153, 493

cil