Volume 6

The origin of laws, arts, and sciences, and their progress among the most ancient nations / Translated from the French, vol. III by R. or A. Spearman. Of the President de Gouguet ... Adorned with cuts.

  • Goguet, Antoine-Yves, 1716-1758.
Date:
1761
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The origin of laws, arts, and sciences, and their progress among the most ancient nations / Translated from the French, vol. III by R. or A. Spearman. Of the President de Gouguet ... Adorned with cuts. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ]y by a king, and to form a perceptible monarchy the fame as other nations3. It pleafed the Supreme Being to con- fent. It is remarkable, that this innovation happened nearly at the fame time that mok of the towns of Greece, on motives not very clear to us, ereked themfelves into republics. Saul was anointed King of Ifrael the lame year that Medon was eleked archon of Athensb. The Jews had fufficient reafon to repent of the novelty they had introduced into the form of their government. The bad conduct of their kings, the revolt of the ten tribes who founded the kingdom of Samaria, and at lak the total ruin of the nation, were the juk punilhments of their incon- kancy. If the names of David, of Solomon, of Jeholhaphat, and Hezekiah, are reckoned among thofe of the greatek kings ; it is with horror that we read thofe of Rehoboam, of Athalia, of Jehoram, and Manakeh. The hikory of the Jews throughout the whole æra on which we are now employ¬ ed, is aim ok one continued fcene of horrible fpekacles, of bloody tragedies, and the mok unheard-of crimes. Im¬ piety and idolatry triumphed at Samaria almok always, often even at Jerufalem. The total ruin of the kingdom of Samaria was the firk blow that this people felt. Their iniquities at length drew down upon Jerufalem the ven¬ geance of the Mok High. Nebuchadnezzar was the -inkru- tnent of the Almighty to chakife an intractable nation, re- lapfing at every moment into the fame faults. It is alfo proper to obferve, that the kingly government of the chofen people began and ended in the fpace of time now under confideration. The captivity recalled the He¬ brews to theocracy. At their return from Babylon, they formed, by the confent and under the protekion of the kings of Perlia, a fort of republic, of which the high prick was the head and the principal adminikratorc. a i Sam. c. 8. v. 5. b Marfhajpn. fecul 13. p. 326. & 34c. c See P. Caîmet, dilTert. fur la police des Hébreux, t. 3. p, 10. C K A P*