The facred writers have not difdained to admit this fymbol of divinity: God, fay they, hath fet his tabernacle in the fun.' Jefus Chrift is called the day fpring from on high,' the fun of righte oufnefs.' In procefs of time, the fymbol took place of the being it reprefented; the fun was then the phyfical God of the universe, because he was the principle of heat and life. Hence the origin of Sabeism! that firft fyftem of idolatry, which literally fignifies the worship of the Sun. • Thus names were given him correspondent to the ideas that were entertained of him : SAB, the exalted. ADAD, the only. BEL, the fhining. MELCARTHE, or MELICERTE; the king of the earth; or fimply, MELCH-CHARTE the king of the city. 'Towns too were ambitious of being called from him. Hence fo many cities of the names of Herculea, Herculaneum, Heraclea, &c. &c. fo called not because they were built by Hercules, or becaufe they honoured Hercules the hero of Greece, but because the colonies that founded them worshipped the fun under that name. 'We find from MACROBIUS that the Egyptians called Hercules, Helion, or the Sun, which is in all, and for all, and this name equally fignified, originally, the Supreme Being. PLUTARCH in his treatife on Ifis and Ofiris, tells us that, according to the Egyptians, Hercules placed in the fun made with that luminary the tour of the univerfe. This idea Apollodorus expreffes poetically, faying that Hercules arrived at the extremities of the world in a veffel of the Sun. This was an Egyptian expreffion, which deceived Le Clerc, and wrefting it from its proper fenfe, he thought he had difcovered an excellent proof of his fyftem, which was that Hercules was nothing more than a merchant, who was faid to fail in the fun's veffel, either because his fhip was called the Sun, or becaufe he carried the figure of the fun for a flag. How could it efcape him, that this was perfectly conformable to the Egyptian Theology, which constantly placed the fun and the moon in fhips, as the pilots of the univerfe? The hymns of antiquity, addreffed to the fun, ordinarily reprefented him under the title and attributes of Hercules. This proof of the identity of the two perfonages is fo friking, that it is aftonishing it fhould hitherto have escaped thofe who have employed themselves in ftudies and researches of this nature. We fhall produce two inftances of this kind, one taken from the Dionyfiacs of Nonnus, the other from the Hymns of Orpheus. The first is an invocation of Bacchus to the fun, in which he calls him Hercules, with reference to the deltinies of Tyre, the country of the ancestors of Bacchus. Thus it begins, Αεροχίτων ΗΡΑΚΛΕΣ, αναξ πυρός, ορχαμε κοσμου, that is, " Ο ftarmantled Hercules, king of fire, ruler of the world !” L14 The The hymn of Orpheus thus: ΗΡΑΚΛΕΣ οβριμόθυμε, μεγασθενες, Αλκιμε Τίταν, that is, " Ο potent, magnanimous Hercules, mighty Titan!" This hymn is exceedingly fublime. O high-foul'd Hercules, O mighty Titan! Father of time eternal! changing oft In afpect, not in glory; amiable, And evermore defired, and powerful ever! Thine the unconquer'd breast, the conquering bow, And all-producing, all-commanding-aiding! M. De Gebelin has properly enough remarked that this hymn, addreffed to a mortal being would be extravagant and abfurd; but, addreffing Hercules in the character of the fun, it abounds with beauty and propriety. The titles and the feafts of Hercules, moreover, (continues our Author) evince that he reprefents the fun. The Romans celebrated the eve of the calends of July, the laft day of June, as the feaft of Hercules Mufagetes, that is, the leader of the mufes. This fingular title given to a hero, who was never imagined to have the leaft commerce or connection with the mufes, but which the Thebans had, nevertheless, given to Hercules long before the time of the Romans, fhews how futile the general idea hitherto formed of him has been, and that he was to the Phonicians what Apollo was afterwards to the Greeks. The fame conclufion may be drawn from the fable, which fays that Hercules difputed with Apollo the right of the tripod. This tripod, over which Apollo prefided, was no ordinary tripod. It was the year divided into three feafons, according to the oriental calendar, and which was thus faid to march upon three feet. Thus calendars were made with three legs, which proceeded from the fame center, and formed a kind of wheel. On each leg ftood the account of one feafon or four months; the like are to be feen on Runic monuments. This again proves that Apollo was fubftituted by the Greeks for the Phoenician Hercules; and from hence the primary idea of the latter funk out of remembrance. : The The laft-mentioned circumstances gave birth to a fuppofition that Hercules was more celebrated for fcience than for valour, and that he was a great Philofopher. But this mistake was pardonable on account of that obscurity in which the history of this hero was involved. If the Romans celebrated the feaft of Hercules a little after the fummer folitice, the Sabines in like manner kept it in the fame month, the fifth of June. It was undoubtedly the fame with other nations. This celebration of this Divinity appropriated to that feafon, affords a new proof that the fun in his full force in the fign of Leo, was the genuine Hercules who triumphed over fuch formidable Beings, and whofe course nothing could obftruct.' With regard to THE FIRST LABOUR OF HERCULES, the CONQUEST OF THE NEMEAN LION, Our Author obferves that the Lion tamed was an emblem of the earth cultivated, and answered to the toils of the labourer. The Ancients themselves tell us this. The tame lions that followed Rhea, fays Varro in a remarkable paffage, teach men that there is no foil which may not be fubdued and rendered useful. Thus we find the car of Rhea or Cybele drawn by lions, for the fame reason. It is true, it is fometimes drawn by tigers; but the reafon our Author affigns for this is, in our opinion, puerile and unworthy of him :-He says it is to reprefent the different colours of the earth, more variegated than the fkin of the tiger. This firft labour, then, alludes to the first labours of the hufbandman, thofe rude and toil fome labours which alone cant bring the earth into a state of cultivation. Our Readers must be contented with these imperfect sketches of this learned and laborious work; as our limits will not allow of further quotations. ART, II, L... Les Loisirs du Chevalier D'Eon, &c.-The literary Amufements of the Chevalier D'Eon de Beaumont, late Minifter Plenipotentiary from the Court of France, on divers important Subjects during his Refidence in England. 8vo. 14 Vols. Amfterdam. 1774. Sold by Becket, &c. in London. F the firft and fecond of thefe volumes, which were pub lifhed a few years ago, we have already taken fome curfory notice; [See Rev. vol. xliii. p. 237.] but this large and important collection of what may be called National Materials, deferves a more serious and more refpectful attention. A man of letters, fpirit, and tafte, a man of political fagacity and courtly knowledge, converfant in the negociations, and the interefts of Princes, even though he were difqualified for the latter by a foul too ingenuous for low intrigue, muft yet be extremely extremely entertaining, extremely interesting, and inftructive in the closet. This copious publication may therefore be confidered as a kind of library of the knowledge of the modern world. The firft volume contains a defcription of Poland, and hiftorical inquiries concerning the Province of Alface. The fecond is a review of the kingdom of Naples and Sicily. The third contains a chronological abridgment of the records of the Old Teftament, and a compendium of Ecclefiaftical Hiftory. The fourth confifts of obfervations general and particular on Commerce, obfervations on Commerce and Navigation in general, reflections on the means of obtaining a knowledge of the fituation or balance of Commerce, &c. obfervations on the Roads in France, on Silks, on Public Credit, &c. &c. The fifth is a differtation on the Laws and Commerce of Ruffia. In the first of thefe differtations, after defcribing the barbarous and deplorable fituation of the Ruffian laws, in which a man might, without impunity, oblige his wife to put on a fhift fteeped in brandy, and then fet fire to it, and let her perifh in the flames, the Author proceeds to the happier era of Peter the Great: Such, fays he, was the fituation of Ruffia when Peter the Firft afcended the throne. He pafted the early part of his reign in cultivating, as much as circumftances would permit, the Sciences, for which he had a natural tale. He then travelled into foreign countries, and, on his return, he found fufficient employment in the war between his own State and the Kingdoms of Sweden and Poland. This rupture laid him under the neceffity of attending to military bufinefs and making foldiers, and to this he applied himself altogether. Well knowing that the example of a Prince is the best lesson for his fubjects, he not only attended his army in perfon, but went fo effectually about the bufines of regulating military difcipline, that he fubmitted to it himself. Such regulations and fuch a conduct could not but produce the happieft effects. He had foon the fatisfaction of feeing emulation diffufe itfelf through the Nobility, and of finding himself followed by his Nobles to thofe wars which they had formerly left to the decifion of their vaffals. It is matter of furprife, that in the midst of those establishments which required fuch a variety of attention, this creative genius did nothing towards effecting thofe changes, which he found indifpenfably neceffary in the political department, and in the adminiftration of juftice. This Monarch, who with all the qualities of the hero united the most profound policy and fagacity, though inwardly convinced, that the evils which injuftice brings upon a State are much more to be dreaded than thofe of the most fanguinary war, faw with regret that he must wait for a proper time to rectify his Courts of Justice, Juftice, if he would not do it at the hazard of his kingdom. After triumphing over his enemies, after enlarging his empire, after filling the world with the glory of his name and arms, this great Prince confidered himself only as in the midst of his career to that immortality after which he afpired; and to the title of the CONQUEROR, his first ambition was to add that of LEGISLATOR. In 1698, he fhewed his influence with the people by engaging them to adopt the cuftom, prevalent in other European nations, of beginning the year with the month of January, which, with them, had ufually commenced in September. But this was an inconfiderable reform. In 1711, he thewed both his power and his wisdom more effectually by itriking at the vices of legislation. He conftituted a Senate, over which he prefided himself, and which, in his abfence, was charged with the adminiftration both of public and private bufinefs, of which an account was to be rendered at his return. Senfible that the new difpofitions he wanted to make in this department of adminiftration would meet with great difficulties, instead or leffening the power of the Court of Boyards, he abolished it entirely, and compofed a new tribunal of men of knowledge and integrity, on whom he could depend, without any regard to rank or birth, which had been the objects of all his Predeceffors. • After the year 1714 excellent laws were eftablished through all the departments of government, among which were feveral that he had either written or dictated himself; particularly on the adminiftration of justice, on military difcipline, and the education of youth. 'Whatever defects he found in the Oulogeny, whilft he was defirous at once to put an end to diforder, he allowed it all its rights by premifing that the conftitution of his Predeceffors, or the arrets of Sovereign Courts, which had fince intervened, deferved to be attended to no farther than they were conformable to the original code pub. lished by Alexis. This was the ready way to abolith all the abuses which arbitrary power might introduce into the Courts of Juftice. He declared for a new edition of the Oulogeny, in which the fubfequent decifions of cafes fhould be annexed to each article to make a more complete code, at least one that should ferve as a rule, till time would permit the obvious defects to be rectified. This work was accomplished in 1720, but remained in M. S. under the title of Swodnoe Oulogenie, or the Concordance of the Laws. As he had too much penetration to be ignorant that the compilation of a Code, fuch as he wished it to be, required a good deal of time, and the affistance of men converfant in the practice of the laws to attend the execution of it, he availed himself of the interval which the difpofitions he had taken allowed, to publish divers ordinances relative to the great end he proposed to accomplish. He inftituted the Office of Attorney General, and appointed him four Affiftants for the business of government; alfo a certain number of fubordinate officers of the fame denomination, to be fettled in the feveral governments and even in the towns. These had orders to lodge informations of all crimes and misdemeanors that might happen in their department, either contrary to the laws, or prejudicial to the State. • He |