She partook of the fruit; "and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat." This event, in regard to the first human pair, is supposed to have taken place very soon, if not immediately after they were placed in the garden. Eve, as a particular punishment to be inflicted upon her, was doomed in sorrow to bring forth children, and to be subject to her husband.

3. Cain rendered himself famous by his wickedness. In an unprovoked manner he murdered his brother Abel, and thus was the first who committed a crime which has ever been considered as the most atrocious that man commits.

God directly punished him by an awful malediction; and by causing him to become a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth. Going out "from the presence of the Lord," he dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. He at length built a city, and called it Enoch, after the name of his son.

Nothing is recorded of the time and manner of his death. He was most probably a person of great energy and enterprise, as has often been the fact with the wicked ones of the earth.

4. Jubal is spoken of in Scripture as "the father of all such as handle the harp and organ," as his brother Jabal is mentioned as the father of such as dwell in tents." From all accounts, both sacred and profane, music must have been early known among mankind, and its performers must have been among the earliest civilizers of the world.

5. Tubal-Cain is called "an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron." Probably he was so called from his having discovered the art of working in these metals; the most useful of the mechanic arts, and lying at the foundation of all of them.

6. Enoch lived 65 years before he begat Methuselah. He "walked with God after he begat Methuselah 300 years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch were 365 years. And Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him." Such is the simple and sublime record of scripture respecting a good man. is an infinitely more precious memorial than the splendid marble monument, or the ever-during pyramid.

It

7. Methuselah is not known to have been remarkable for any thing except his age. He must have lived to the very year of the flood. The circumstance of the longevity of the antediluvians, was extremely favourable to the communication of knowledge, by tradition.

PERIOD II.

The Period of the Confusion of Languages, extending from the Deluge, 2348 years B. C. to the calling of Abraham, 1921 years B. C.

§ IT may be observed here, that this period, in profane history, and even two or three others succeeding it, are what is termed fabulous. The events recorded are to be admitted with a great degree of cau

tion, except so far as Scripture incidentally throws its light upon them. And it is well known, also, that there is a portion of the early history of almost every nation. which is but little entitled to credit. We shall adduce the common accounts, and when neces sary, shall endeavour to distinguish between the probable and improbable events.

SECTION 1. At the appointed time, God brought the waters of the flood upon all the earth. For this purpose, he broke up the fountains of the great deep, and opened the windows of heaven. During forty days and forty nights, without intermission, the waters were thus poured upon the surface of the globe.

As the ark was completed, Noah, being 600 years old, went into it, together with his wife, his three sons, and their wives, taking with him all kinds of beasts, birds, and reptiles, by pairs, and by sevens, agreeably to the divine direction.

According to the antediluvian computation, Noah remained in the ark one year and ten days; and on coming out, he built an altar, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord, who blessed Noah and his sons. They settled in the vicinity of mount Ararat, in Armenia.

§ The waters increased gradually during the space of five months, when they rose to the elevation of 27 feet above the summits of the highest mountains. Men, beasts, birds, and reptiles, thus being deprived of the means of safety, all perished.

The purpose of God being effected, he caused a wind to pass over the earth, in consequence of which the waters began to subside. The ark rested on the mountains of Ararat, on the 17th day of the 7th month, or the 6th of May.

The waters continuing several months afterwards, it was not until the 27th of the 2d month, or the 18th of December, that the inmates of the ark came forth in pursuance of the divine com mand.

2. The truth of the Bible respecting the deluge, is strikingly confirmed by the general voice of mankind, and by the physical structure and appearance of the earth's surface.

The Chaldeans, Egyptians, Syrians, Indians, Chinese, Greeks, and other nations, all had some traditions respecting the deluge. Not to mention any that have been yet published, the author of this outline would state a fact once delivered to him by an intelligent adventurer, his countryman.

Residing some time among the natives of the North West Coast of America, he fell into conversation with one of them around the fire of his wigwam, on various topics. Among other things, the Indian inquired of him, whether his people knew any thing concerning a great flood that had once taken place.

The stranger resident affecting surprise, with a view to learn what notion the natives had on the subject, asked his inquirer, how long ago it happened. The Indian immediately scooping up a handful of ashes that lay before him, promptly replied, "as many moons as there are ashes here."

In agreement with the universal voice of tradition, the surface of the earth, in various respects, indicates the occurrence of such a catastrophe. Its broken state, the disposition of its strata, and the remains of marine productions on the tops of the highest mountains, are no doubtful evidence on this subject.

3. After the deliverance of Noah and his family from the flood, God established a gracious covenant with him, which is recorded at length in the 9th chapter of Genesis. Among other things, he made a grant of flesh as food for mankind, and he engaged no more to destroy the earth with a flood, in confirmation of which he set his bow in the cloud.

4. Not long after this period, Noah, who had engaged in the pursuits of husbandry, having been intoxicated by the juice of the grape, was discovered in this disgraceful situation by his youngest son Ham, who, with indecent levity, informed his brethren of the circumstance. The latter, however, treated their father with the highest degree of filial decorum.

This conduct procured for them the blessing of Noah, while that of Ham subjected him, in his son Canaan, to a dreadful curse.

§ Noah, we are informed by the sacred historian, lived 350 years after the deluge, so that his entire age was 950 years. The Orientals have a tradition that he was buried in Mesopotamia, where they show his sepulchre, in a castle near Dair Abunah, or the "monastery of our father."

5. The three sons of Noah were, of course, the first foun ders of nations. They peopled the several quarters of the globe, Shem, the east and south of Asia; Ham, Syria, Arabia, and Africa; Japheth, the north and west of Asia, and also Europe.

§ From the immediate descendants of Shem were derived the Elamites or Persians, the Assyrians, and the Lydians. By Joktan, the fourth in descent from Shem, the uttermost parts of the east were peopled, and perhaps America also, where, it is said, some traces of his name yet remain.

Joktan had 13 sons, and scripture says that the dwelling of Joktan's posterity " was from Mesha, as thou goest up to Sephar, a mount in the East."

From the sons of Ham, who is supposed to be the Chronos of the Greeks, were descended the Ethiopians, the Babylonians, the Egyp

tians, the Colchians, the Philistines, the Lybians, the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Phoenicians.

From the sons of Japheth were descended the Cimbri, the Gauls, the Germans, the Scythians, the Tartars, the Medes, the Ionians, he Iberians, the Muscovites, and the Thracians. From their sons were derived other particular tribes, whose names need not here be rehearsed.

6. During 101 years after the flood, i. e. till the year 2247 B. C. all the descendants of Noah spoke but one language The occasion of a diversity of tongues in the world, and of the origin of distinct communities, was the following.

At the time above referred to, the human family, in journeying from the vicinity of mount Ararat, arrived at length at a plain in the land of Shinar. On this spot they began to erect a city and a tower, whose top might aspire to heaven, for the purpose of avoiding the dispersion of their households, and of acquiring a name.

Such a purpose, and perhaps others still worse, being of fensive to the Deity, he confounded their language, and thus the workmen, not being able to understand one another, desisted from their undertaking. The consequence was the dispersion of mankind into different nations.

The name given to the city was Babel, which signifies. confusion.

§ In erecting the tower they made use of brick instead of stone, and the want of mortar was supplied by slime, or bitumen, of which the region afforded an abundance. The identical materials of this fabric have been supposed, at different times, to have been discovered but this is uncertain.

7. Mankind having become separated into different communities or nations, their history must thenceforth be given accordingly. We shall commence with the Assyrian nation, and briefly trace the outline of its history, as also the history of other sovereignties that existed during this period.

ASSYRIA.

8. ASSYRIA, considered as afterwards including Babylonia, is the oldest of nations, and founded on the spot where the tower of Babel was erected. We may date the commencement of this empire not many years after the dispersion took place, or about 2229 years B. C. Its founder was Ashur, the son of Shem, who built Nineveh, its capital. It continued alone about 120 years, and then being united to Babylonia, became a mighty empire.

In the order of time, there were two empires of the Assyrians. The first is here spoken of, which lasted till the year 767 B. C.

It is supposed by some that Babylon, which was built by Nimrod, the grandson of Ham, the Belus of profane history, was, from the beginning, the capital of Assyria. But we rather follow those authorities that suppose Babylonia and Assyria to have been originally two distinct kingdoms, both founded about the same time, the former by Nimrod, the latter by Ashur.

The Babylonians became, at length, tributary; and Ninus, king of Assyria, having deposed Nabonius, united the two states into one. After his death, Semiramis, his widow, transferred the seat of governnent from Nineveh to Babylon.

9. Under Semiramis the Assyrian empire was greatly enlarged. She assumed the government during the nonage of Ninias, son of her husband, Ninus. She signalized her name by enlarging and embellishing Babylon, and by her numerous military exploits.

§ It is said, that, in completing Babylon, she employed the labours of 2,000,000 men. This woman, after having enlarged her dominions, conquered a great part of Ethiopia, and invaded India, though without success, was murdered, as is supposed, at the instigation of Ninias.

10. Ninias, her successor, was a very insignificant sovereign; and the history of his successors, for more than 30 generations, is unknown. They must have been an indolent and effeminate race.

§ Ninias, unlike his predecessors, being wholly intent on his pleasures, kept himself secluded in his palace, and seldom appeared before his people. But, to retain them in their duty, he kept a certain number of regular troops, whom he renewed every year, commanded by an officer on whose fidelity he could depend. This method he seems to have adopted, that the officers might have no time to gain the affections of the soldiers, or to form conspiracies against him.

Not only are his successors unknown, as to their conduct or exploits, but even their names, till the time of Sardanapalus, the last of them, (who will be noticed in the proper place,) are a matter of controversy among historians.

During this unrecorded period of the Assyrian history, Sesostris, king of Egypt, if his name may be here anticipated, who carried on his conquests into the East, must have overrun Assyria; but, as his power was not supported by his successors, the Assyrians must have soon regained their former state.

CHINA

11. CHINA, it is not to be doubted, is among the most ancient empires of the world. Its records extend to more than 2200 years B. C. According to the most current opi