beral abufe. With the progrefs of TIME, Sir Ifaac Newton's antagonists multiplied.

So early as 1730, Shuckford in the Preface to his third volume of Hiftorical Connexions, revived and ftrengthened the objection of the two authors, now mentioned, to Sir Ifaac's Aftronomical Argument, for bringing the date of the Argonautic Expedition three centuries lower than it had been fettled by the Old Chronology; and, it must be confeffed, left the great author's poftulate and conclufion, under all the difadvantages (with respect to credibility), of fcientifical conjecture.

SQUIRE, in his Defence of the Ancient Greek Chronology, 1741, repeated the impulfe on the mind of the public, and ftruck a deeper impreffion. It is there affirmed, that Chiron was no practical aftronomer ;— that he had not fufficient knowledge to mark out and diftinguish the conftellations in the zodiac from those in the other parts of the heavens ;-that though his fkill had been equal to the conftruction of an exact fphere, and for affigning to the equinoctial and folftitial points their proper places; yet fuch a fphere could not be of the leaft ufe to the Argonauts, in their short voyage from Theffaly to Colchis.

COSTARD, in his Letter to Sir Martin Folkes, on the Rife and Progrefs of ASTRONOMY among the Ancients, 1746, obliquely, yet with becoming decorum, reprehends this Aftronomical Argument, while he respectfully conceals the author's name. "Some perfons, too great to be mentioned without reverence, fuppofe, that

be

he [Chiron] formed the conftellations for the ufe of the Argonauts. If, as it feems, be meant all thofe mentioned in the fphere of Eudoxus, it is more, I am afraid, than can well be allowed. That he might be an OBSERVER, indeed, is not improbable, being contemporary with those who were fo:"Palamedes, Aftræus, Nauplius, Atlas, &c. before mentioned.

THE laft, but not the leaft fuccefsful, opponent to Sir Ifaac's pofitions, concerning the Greek Chronology, is Dr. Mufgrave in his EXAMINATION of the Objections to the Chronology of the OLYMPIADS, in 1772: to all which authors the inquifitive and learned reader is referred, for more ample information.

SOME principles in this very refpectable philosopher's laft, though least perfect work, at variance with thofe of a late right reverend divine, are combated, in the third volume of his Divine Legation, from p. 242 to 342, with lefs delicacy than zeal. Warburton was not a match for Newton in those parts of literature connected with the arts of calculation; but by an inherent vigour of genius, brought difcredit on fome of that illuftrious author's conclufions, in his book of Chronological Emendations. Hooke, in the introduction to his Roman Hiftory, undertakes a vindication of Sir Ifaac's arrangements from the objections of his feveral opponents, and after making feveral conceffions, particularly the juniority of Rome with refpect to Carthage, concludes in favour of the reformed chronology.

SIR Ifaac Newton's amazing difcoveries in the application of geometry and experimental philofophy to the fyftem of nature, his ingenious Theory of Light and Colours, his Improvements in Univerfal Arithmetic, not to mention his very probable claim to the Invention of Fluxions, had, in his lifetime, procured him univerfal eftimation, as the model of fcientifical perfection; and he was almoft the fingular example of genius having furmounted envy before death. But with flow caution, and not without numerous abatements and mortifying refervations, have the merits of his two laft publications, Obfervations upon the Prophecies, and The Chronology of ancient Kingdoms, both posthumous, been admitted; though he had the felicity not only to improve, but adorn, every subject, to which he applied his masterly talents.

IN each of these performances candid criticism must allow certain objections, flated by feveral learned men, to remain, either in part, or in their full force. But this conceflion does not divest that great man of the honours unquestionably due to him, on account of his happy elucidation of the prophetical ftile; and of his connecting a train of particular predictions, with the continuous feries of genuine hiftory;-neither of many important difcoveries, the refult of aftronomy, chrononology, and genealogy, applied with exquifite skill, and wonderful harmony of co-operation and effect, to the hiftory of the EARLY AGES. Imperfection is inseparable from even the moft elaborate productions of hu

man

man genius.

When the intricacy of the fubject is confidered, the overfights here are few and excufable *. IN framing the prefixed ANALYSIS, feveral inftances of defect in the plan, and of improper disposition in the order of the NEWTONIAN Chronology have occurred. Thefe, not altogether excluding characters of imperfection or excellence, obferved by other writers on the subject, are the ground-work of this APPENDIX, which is, for this reafon, divided into two parts.

"I have one general remark to make on Sir Ifaac's book; that he finds fault with the earlier part of the Grecian history for having no chronology; and yet supposes, that when chronology, that is, technical chronology, was introduced by Timæus and others, the only use made of it was to falfify their hiftory. This makes it neceffary to explain, in a few words, my notion what chronology is, and what it is not. I fay then, that the genealogy of a particular family, a series of kings or priefteffes, a lift of archons, or the records of a public folemnity, like the olympic games; none of these are chronology. But chronology is that science, which compares those lifts, genealogies, and records together, and adjusts them to one another, making, if poffible, one confiftent whole. This is a work that requires, no doubt, the hand of a master, and it requires also an unprejudiced mind. For if the chronologer has any favourite point to establish, if, for instance, he be defirous of extending or contracting any particular period, he will be tempted to mutilate or stretch them out, as may best serve his purpose. The want of chronology with which Sir Ifaac reproaches the Greeks, is a circumftance, which in another point of view may be confidered as strongly supporting their credit." -Musgrave, p. 224.

IN

CHA P. I.

Sir ISAAC NEWTON's Chronology.

N computing TIMES, Dodwell affumes, as fundamental, a reasonable poftulate, "The Chronologer muft proceed from known to lefs certain periods *." The primary term in computation, depending, as fuggefted in the fubjoined note, on the quantity of meafured time, from the first to the fecond Adam, and defined in the records, which Jews and Christians acknowledge to be of divine authority, merits the highest

A certioribus temporibus ad incertiora progrediendum. Differtationes de Græcorum Romanorumque Cyclis. The times with which the New Teftament history begins are no lefs known from authentic records, than those of the subsequent ages. Kennedy reverfes the poftulate, “Tempora quò antiquiora, eo certiora. This pofition is applicable to that period alone, with which the Old Teftament hiftory begins. The great difficulty, which has not heretofore been furmounted, is by comparing with itself, by the aid of borrowed light, the facred history, for the intermediate space from the CREATION to the CHRISTIAN ERA. To fix the aftronomical years, fo as not to count incomplete for full, or to multiply their number by counting full years twice, has been attempted in the Introduction to the foregoing Analyfis.

degree