3294.

3325.

3356.

3378.

3398.

Siege of Jerufalem, which was miraculously deliver'd; an Angel in one Night destroying 80000 of Sennacherib's Men, which obliged him to raise the Siege, and return home, where, being mad with his Misfortunes, he play'd the Tyrant, and in the Temple of Nefrach was killed by his own Sons; and they being obliged to fly, the Kingdom was poffeffed by

Afarbaddon, who taking the advantage of fome Disorder in Babylon, feiz'd it, and added it to his own Empire. He tranfported into Affyria all that remained of the ancient Inhabitants of Samaria, and fent a Colony from the Country about Euphrates to fupply their place, His Generals alfo took Manaffeb King of Judab Prifoner, and carried him to Babylon, but 'he was afterwards releas'd and returned to Jerufalem.

r

His Son Saofduchin, call'd in the Bible Nebuchadnezzar, fucceeded. He overthrew the King of Media in the Plain of Ragau, and took their capital City Ecbatane. Soon after happen'd the Siege of Bethuliab, by his General Holophernes, and the famous Adventure of Judith. He was fucceeded by.

Saracus, a Prince fo odious and contemptible to his Subjects, that Nabopolaffar, the General of his Forces, revolted and feized Babylon.

Nabopolaffar, the better to fupport himself, made an alliance with Cyaxares, King of the Medes, in conjunction with whom he took Nineveh, as we fhall fee afterwards. In his old age he affociated to himself in the Government his Son

Nebuchodonofor, or Nebuchadnezzar, who defeated Neco, King of Egypt, near the Euphrates, invaded Syria and Palestine, befieg'd and took

Jeru

Ferufalem,impos'd a Tribute on theKing Joakim, and carried a great number of Captives, and much Treasure, into Babylon, Here commences the feventy years Captivity of the Jews. When he returned to Babylon, he promoted Daniel, one of the Jewish Captives, for his Skill in interpreting Dreams, to the highest Dignities, making him Governour of Babylon, and Superintendant of the Magi. The King of Judab 3415. revolting, he again befieged Jerufalem, and after a tedious Siege took and burnt it, carrying the King Zedechias, and all the Inhabitants, with all the Riches of the Temple and Palace to Babylon. Some time after he alfo took Thre, which endur'd a long Siege, conquer'd Egypt, and returning home, adorn'd Babylon with several magnificent Works. At laft he grew mad, and run upon the Mountains like a wild Beast, but recover'd his Senfes before his Death.He was 3442. fucceeded by Evilmerodach, who made himfelf fo odious by his Debaucheries, that his own Relations confpir'd against him and put him to death.

Nerigliffor, his Brother-in-law fucceeded, who 3444 after a Reign of four Years, in which he did nothing remarkable, died, and left the Kingdom to his Sono c. odv mid

Laborofoarchod, who for his diffolute and 3448, wicked Life was murdered by his Subjects, after a Reign of only nine Months.

Nabonides, call'd in Scripture Belshazzar, was 3449. the laft King of Babylon: the City being taken, and the Empire transferr'd to the Medes and Perfrans, as will be seen in the Hiftory of Cyrus.

IV. The Author next proceeds to the Hiftoy of the Kingdom of the Medes, founded (according to fome Hiftorians) by Arbaces; but Hero

dotus,

3294.

dotus, whom our Author follows, gives another account of the matter; the fum of which is this. Upon the Decline of the Affyrian Empire, feve ral Nations revolted, and the Medes, among the firft, fhook off their Yoke; who being a rude and unciviliz'd People, liv'd a long time without any regular Form of Government, till Violence and Licentioufness prevailing, they at length agreed to chufe a King,

Dejoces (who had acquir'd a great Reputation for his Prudence and Juftice, and the good Order he had establish'd in the City in which he liv'd, and who by fecret Practices had been long afpiring to the Sovereignty) was pitch'd upon. The first thing he did, was to fecure the Veneration of the People by marks of exterior Grandeur, he built a Palace, and took Guards for his Perfon: he next applied himself to polish and civilize the People, in order to which he built the City Echatan, and compos'd a Body of Laws, and then fhut himself up from the Eyes of his Subjects, allowing them no access to him but by Writing, or the Mediation of particular Perfons. This Cuftom which Dejoces introduc'd (and which was afterwards imitated by other Eaftern Kings) however well imagin'd it might be in him, who had to do with a rude and barbarous People, was, as our Author obferves, certainly attended with many Inconveniencies ; the Prince being obliged to fee with other Men's Eyes, and no means left for his better Information, in cafe he was impos'd upon, This King's whole time being taken up in modelling and forming his new Government, he made no attempt to extend his Dominions. He was fucceeded by his Son

Phraortes,

Phraortes, who being a warlike and ambitious 3347Prince, first attack'd the Perfians, and having fubdu'd them, made himself Master of all Upper Afia. After which, he made war upon the Affyrians, and in the memorable Battle of Ragau was defeated, his City taken and plunder'd by Nebuchodonofor, and himself cruelly put to death. Cyaxares his Son, a brave and enterprifing A.M.3369; Prince, fucceeded; he recever'd the Kingdom of Media, defeated the Affyrians in a Battle, and befieged the Capital, Nineveh, but was diverted by an Army of Scythians, who had made an Irruption into Media, which obliged him to raife the Siege and march against them. They came to an Engagement, in which the Scythians having got the Victory, over-run not only Media, but almost all Afia, and held the Dominion of Upper Afia for eight and twenty Yeats 'till the Medes, by agreement, inviting them all at one time to be their Guefts, made fo great a Maffacre of them, that thofe who were left being terrify'd, fled, and put themfelves under the Protection of Alyattes, King of Lydia; which occafion'd a tedious War between him, and Cyaxares, 'till at length they came to a Battle, but were parted by that famous Eclipfe foretold by Thales, which both Parties look'd upon as a Sign of the Anger of Heaven, and fo made Peace. One Ceremony which the Eastern Nations used upon thefe occafions, and which they had in common with the Greeks, is very remarkable; in contracting Alliances, the Parties contracting made Incifions in their Arms, and lick'd each other's Blood. Cyaxares, after his Delivery from the Scythian Servitude, bent all his Thoughts against Nineveh, and in conjunction with Nabopolaffar, who had revolted against the King of

Affyria,

1

Affyria, he again befieged, and took the City, which he raz'd to the Foundation, kill'd King Saracus, and made himself Master of all the Kingdom of Affyria, except Babylon andЄbaldea, which were poffefs'd by Nabopolaffur. Soon after this Expedition he died, and was fucceed ed by his Son

A.M. 3409. Aftyages, call'd in Scripture Affuerus; of whofe Reign, the very long, we have little particu larly recorded. He married his Daughter to Cambyfes, King of Perfia, which Marriage produc'd the great Cyrus. His Succeffor, was his Son Cyaxares II, after whofe Death the Empires of the Medes and Perfians were united in the Per fon of Cyrast

Before our Author proceeds to the History of Cyrusi he gives an account of the Kingdom of Lydia, whofe King Crafus had a confiderable fhare in the Tranfactions of his Time.

A

V. Lydia was fo call'd from Lydus, whole Son Atyr, and a long Race of his Defcendants fill'd the Throne, and were call'd Atyades. After their Extinction it was govern'd by the Heraclides, or Succeffors of Hercules; the laft of whom 3286. was Candaules, whofe Story is well known. When he was dead, the Kingdom was poffefs'd by another Family, call'd the Mermnades; the firft of whom was Gyges, who was the Perfon to whom Candaules fhow'd his Queen naked, and with whom the confpir'd for that Affront to put him to death. After Gyges's death the Scepter paffed through feveral Hands, 'till at length it came to

3442.

Crafus, a Prince fo famous for his Riches, that his Name became a Proverb. His Riches however did not enervate his Mind, for he was a great Lover and Encourager both of

Arms