of the straits, and becomes a floating island, which, being fixed, has the name of Madera, and is given to Lusus. The Phænician fleet having been with difficulty preserved from the Agnyastra, or fiery darts of Mahésa, sails triumphantly into the Atlantic, after a surprising retreat of the army under the conduct of Britan BOOK VIII.-THE Druid returns with a relation of oracular answers in the Celtic temples, concerning the destiny of Albion, and the Atlantides, or New World: the future American war, and the defence of Gibraltar by different names, are obscurely shadowed in the prediction. An obstinate naval fight; in which BRITAN is wounded by an arrow of fire, but protected and carried from the fleet by his attendant angel. BOOK IX. THE genius transports Britan to the isle of Albion; which is described by its mountains, vales, and rivers; then uninhabited, except by nymphs and beings of a superior order. The palace and gardens of Albione; who completes the cure of her lover, and acquiesces in his return to the army; having first, at his request, told her own adventures, and related the separation of her island from the coast of Gaul. BOOK X.-THE Gallic army arrayed: the actions of their chiefs. A variety of distress involves the Tyrians by sea and land; they are driven to their works, and enclosed on both sides; until their prince appearing suddenly among them, rouses their courage, and performs the most heroic achievements, achievements, by which the scale of success is completely turned. This book contains a number of events and episodes; among them is the death and funeral of MELCART, the Tyrian Hercules. Book XI.-THE Indian deities invite those of Tyre and Syria to co-operate with them; prophesying darkly the invasion of their empire by the Croisaders; they excuse themselves, equally averse to the Gauls and to all the nations of Europe. A final conflict; and a complete victory in every element by the Phænicians over Gallus and Iberus, and by the protecting, over the malignant spirits. The victors land in Albion, since called Britain, on the coast of Hama, now Hampshire; a description of the triumph, entertainments, and sports. BOOK XII.-THE nuptials of Britan and Albione, or, allegorically, of Royalty and Liberty united in the constitution of England. The attending Druid, appearing in his own form and in all his splendour, predicts the glories of the country, and its disasters; but animates, rather than alarms, the hero and nymph, whom he consoles, whenever he afflicts them; he recommends the government of the Indians by their own laws. He then flies, his object being attained, to the celestial regions; they apply themselves to the regulation of their domain and the happiness of their subjects. The discovery of the BRITISH Isles by the Tyrians, is mentioned by Strabo, Diodorus, and Pliny; and proved as well by the Phænician monuments found in IRELAND, as by the affinity between between the Irish and Punic languages. NEWTON places this event about the Eight-hundred-eightythird year before CHRIST, and in the twenty-first after the taking of TROY. T BOOK I. GENIUS, or Spirit, or tutelary Power Oh! fill this glowing bosom whilst I sing What Chief, what Sage, what Hero, train'd by thee Who constituted first? The Prince of TYRE Long wand'ring, long depress'd, yet e'er impell'd Now were his light-oar'd galleys tempest-tost From Book VII. -As Tibetian mountains rise, Stupendous, measureless, ridge beyond ridge, Till sight is dimm'd, thought maz'd; the traveller Dire series, press'd; one slain, the next more fierce, Relax'd not, but still cloth'd its edge with death, Appendix. B. A Prefatory Discourse to an Essay on the History of the TURKS. THERE is no people in Europe, which has raised the terror, and excited the curiosity of the Christian world more than the Turks; nor any, I believe, of whose true genius and manners we have so imperfect a notion: for though a great number of travellers, and among them several excellent men, have from time to time published their observations on various parts of the Turkish empire, yet few of them, as it evidently appears, understood the languages that are spoken in it, without without which their knowledge could not fail of being very superficial and precarious. It has generally happened, that the persons who have resided among the Turks, and who, from their skill in the Eastern dialects, have been best qualified to present us with an exact account of that nation, were either confined to a low sphere of life, or engaged in views of interest, and but little addicted to polite letters or philosophy; while they, who, from their exalted stations and refined taste for literature, have had both the opportunity and inclination of penetrating into the secrets of Turkish policy, were totaily ignorant of the language used at Constantinople, and consequently were destitute of the sole means by which they might learn, with any degree of certainty, the sentiments and prejudices of so singular a people: for the Mahometans, naturally ignorant and reserved to men of our religion, will disclose their opinions to those only who have gained their confidence by a long intimacy with them, and the Greek subjects, who have a just detestation of their oppressors, can hardly be supposed to speak of them with tolerable candour. As to the generality of interpreters, we cannot expect from men of their condition any depth of reasoning, or acuteness of observation; if mere words are all they profess, mere words must be all they can pretend to know. It may therefore be given as a general rule, that no writer can exhibit a just picture of the ་ |