their true Situation; and all the Countries from Bactria up to this Eattern Ocean were their India. And tho' the ancient Antiquities of the Countries we now call India are quite loft or defaced, yet it is remarkable, that if we go further Eaft into China, to which so many Incurfions of the more Western Kingdoms and Conquerors have not fo frequently reached, or so much affected, we find great Remains of what Diodorus calls the ancient Indian Polity, and which seems very likely to have been derived from the Appointments of Noah to his Children: But let us enquire what is most probable these Appointments were. And

The Indians are divided into feven different Orders or Sorts of Men: Their first Legislator confidered what Employments were neceffary to be undertaken and cultivated for the public Welfare, and he appointed feveral Sets or Orders of Men, that each Art or Employment might be duly taken care of, by thofe whofe proper Business it was to employ themselves in it. And, 1. Some were appointed to be Philofophers and to study Aftronomy. In the ancient Times, Men had no way of knowing when to fow or till their Grounds, but by obferving the Rifing and Setting of particular Stars; for they had no Kalendar for many Ages, nor had they divided the Year into a fet of Months, but the Lights of Heaven were, as Mofes fpeaks, for Signs to them, and for (k) Seafons, and for Days, and for Years. They (k) Gen. i.

by degrees found by Experience, that when fuch or fuch Stars appeared, then the Seasons for the feveral Parts of Tillage were come, and therefore found it very neceffary to make the best Obfervations they could of the Heavens, in order to cultivate the Earth, fo as that they might expect the Fruits of it in due Seafon. That this was indeed the Way, which the Ancients took to find out the proper Seasons for the feveral Parts of the Husbandman's Employments, is evident both from Hefiod and Virgil. The Seasons of the Year were pretty well fettled before Hefiod's Time, much better before Virgil's, as may appear from Hefiod's mentioning the feveral Seafons of Spring, Summer, and Winter, and the Names of fome particular Months; but both these Poets have given feveral Specimens of the ancient Directions for Sowing and Tillage, which Men at first were not directed to perform in this or that Month, or Seafon of the Year; for thefe were not fo early obferved or fettled, but upon the rifing or fetting of particular Stars. Thus Hefiod advises to reap and plough by the rifing and fetting of the Pleiades (1), to cut Wood by the Dog-Star (m), and to prune Vines by the rifing of Arcturus. And thus Virgil lays it down for a general Rule, that it was as neceffary for the Countryman to obferve the Stars, as for the Sailor (n), and gives various Directions for Husbandry and Tillage in the ancient Way,

(1) Hefiod "Eyv Huepav. Lib. 2. (n) Virgil. Georgic. Lib. 1.

(m) Id. ibid.

forming

forming Rules for the Times of performing the several Parts of Husbandry from the Lights of Heaven. Men could have but little Notion of the Seasons of the Year, whilst they did not know what the true Length of the Year was; or at least, they must after a few Years Revolutions be led into great Mistakes about them. About a thousand Years paffed after the Flood, before the most accurate Obfervers of the Stars in any Nation, came to be able to guefs at the true Length of the Year, without mistaking above five Days (0) in the Length of it; and in fome Nations they mistook more, and found out their Mistake later. And it is easy to fee, what fatal Mismanagements fuch an Ignorance as this would in fix or eight Years Time introduce into our Agriculture, if we really thought Summer and Winter to come about five or fix Days fooner every Year than their real Revolutions. And I cannot but think, that the first Attempters to till the Ground must make their Attempts with great Uncertainties, and perhaps occafion many of the Famines, which we read were fo frequent in the ancient Times, by their being not well apprized of the true Course of the Seasons, and therefore tilling and fowing in unseasonable Times, and in an improper Manner. They in a little Time obferved, that the Stars appeared to them to be in different Pofitions at different Times, and by trying Experiments, they came to guess under what Star, as I might

(•) Pref. to Vol. I.

fpeak

fpeak it, this or that Grain was to be fown and reaped; and fo by degrees fixed good Rules for their Geoponics, before they attained a juft and adequate Notion of the Revolution of the Year: But then it is obvious to be remarked, that any one that could give Inftructions in this Matter, must be highly efteemed, being most importantly useful in every Kingdom. And fince no one could be able to give these Inftructions, unless he spent much Time in carefully making all forts of Obfervations; the beft that could be made at first being but very imperfect; it feems highly reasonable that every King should fet apart and encourage a Number of diligent Students, to cultivate these Studies with all poffible Industry; and agreeably hereto, they paid great Honours to thefe Aftronomers in Egypt, and at Babylon, and in every other Country where Tillage was attempted with any Prudence or Succefs. Noah must be well apprized of the Ufefulness of this Study, having lived 600 Years before the Flood, and he was without doubt well acquainted with all the Arts of Life, that had been invented in the first World, and this of obferving the Stars had been one of them; fo that he could not only apprize his Children of the Neceffity of, but alfo put them into fome Method of profecuting thefe Studies.

Another fet of Men were to make it their whole Business to till the Ground; and a third Sort to keep and order the Cattle, to chafe and kill fuch of the Beafts as would be noxious to Mankind, or deftroy the Tillage, and incom

mode

mode the Husbandman; and to take, and tame, and pasture fuch as might be proper for Food or Service. A fourth fet of Men were appointed to be Artificers, to employ themselves. in making all forts of Weapons for War, and Inftruments for the Tillage, and to fupply the whole Community in general with all Utenfils and Furniture. A fifth Set were appointed for the Art of War, to exercife themselves in Arms, to be always ready to fupprefs inteftine Tumults and Disorders, or to repel Foreign Invafions and Attacks, whenever ordered for either Service; and this their ftanding Force was very numerous, for it was almoft equal to the Number of the Tillers of the Ground. A fixth Sort were the Ephori, or Overfeers of the Kingdom, a fet of Perfons employed to go over every Part of the King's Dominions, examining the Affairs and Management of the Subjects, in order to report what might be amifs, that proper Measures might be taken to correct and amend it. And laftly, they had a fet of the wifeft Perfons to affift the King as his Council, and to be employed, either as Magiftrates or Officers to command his Armies, or in governing and diftributing Justice amongst his People. The ancient Indians were, as Diodorus tells us, divided into these feven different Orders or Sorts of Men; and the Chinese Polity, according to the best Accounts we have of it, varies but little in Subftance from these Inftitutions; and according to Le Compte, it was much the fame when firft fettled as it is now, and therefore very probably

Noab