An Account of Two Books

scorious Nature, has, in its lower surface, which exactly fits the upper of the Regulus, Cavities, for number, shape and bigness, answering to the protuberances lately mention'd; which argues, that the Regulus cooled first with that Inequality of surface we have describ'd, and that the lighter and more Recrementitious Substance, continuing longer fluid, had thereby opportunity to accommodate itself to the superficial Figure of the Regulus, on which it first lean'd, and was afterwards coagulated. So far of this Sequel at the present; what remains may be expected at the first conveniency. An Account of two Books: 1. PALÆOLOGIA CHRONICA: A Chronological Account of Ancient time: In Three parts; Didactical, Apodeictical, Chronical. By Robert Cary, D.LL. Devon. London, 1677, in fol. The Design of this elaborate Work seems to be, to determine the just interval of Time between the great Epoch of the Creation of the World, and that other of the Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus Vespasian, in order to the assignment of such particular Time, wherein Persons and Actions of old had their Existence. For the performance of which, the Learned Author divides this his Book into three main parts. In the first he treats not only of his Measure in general, which is the Year, and its parts; but also of the Julian Year in particular, by him esteem'd the fittest for his Use: considering it both in itself, and in relation to other the most received kinds, for the reducing of them to this. Where comes-in the Julian Period, of which he discourses very fully; shewing first, How it is made up, viz. by the Multiplication of the Cycles of the Sun, Moon, and Indiction into one another, as 28 into 19, and the product thereof into 15, which produces 7980, the Julian Period, so called, because accommodated to the Julian Year; the ground whereof was taken from the Ancient Greek Church, perfected and promoted in this later Age by Jos. Scaliger's dexterity. Secondly, What the contrivance is of this Julian. Julian Period, vid. That every single Year in the whole series of 798 hath its proper Characterism, which no other Year, besides that, hath. So the first year of this Period hath for the Cycle of the Moon, 1; of the Sun, 1; of Indiction, 1; which three Cycles together will not be found in the whole Order, other than the first. So it may easily appear, how the first year after the Christian Epoch was affected, the Cycle of the Moon, 2; of the Sun, 10; of Indict. 4: which three Characters belong to the 4714 year of the Julian Period; by the concurrence of which three, this Year is discriminated from all others. Whence it will be easy to accord the Year of the Julian Period with any one of the Christian Epochs, by Addition or Subtraction: As (e.g.) the 603 Year preceding the Christian Epoch, if you subtract this number from 4714, the remainder, 4111, is the Year of the Julian Period: And if the Year be after Christ, if then you add to the number of the Year so given 4713, as this year from Christ's Nativity 1676, you'll have it to be the 6389 of the Julian Period, having for its characters that of the Moon, 5; of the Sun, 5; of Indict. 14: And so you have a ready way, by the help of this Period to determine the Characters belonging to any Year. Having shew'd the Use of this Period, he adds the Method of reducing the Years of other Reckonings to the Julian Year, and to that of the Julian Period; as that of the Egyptian or Nabonassarian; that of the City of Rome; the Gracian and Jewish Year, &c. In the second Part, are laid down the two Bases of Chronography, viz. Astronomical Observations, and Historical Tradition: Of which the former may be looked upon as certain and demonstrative; the latter must be distinguished according to the Historians, as they are with us more or less creditable, or more or less consonant with others of good credit. Here occurs first, a Thesaurus of Astronomical Phenomena, or a Table of Eclipses and other Celestial Appearances, together with the Time in which they were observ'd, according to the Writings of Historians and Mathematicians, by our Author specified. Next, Creditable Memorials of the Succession of Princes and Rulers, serving to direct these Inquiries, as is that considerable Astronomical Canon deduced from Nabonassar to Antoninus Pius, under whom Claud. Ptolemaeus, the famous Egyptian Mathe- mathematician, flourished. And forasmuch as among the manifold great Events, which have happen'd in the Course of Affairs, those that have been the Original or Establishment of great Families, and Empires, and Cities, or the Extinction and Subduing of others; the Institution and Constitution of Publick Conventions of People; great Inundations and Conflagrations, and other the like Destructions; forasmuch, I say, as some of these have been the occasion and ground of the received Epochas of Time; our Author makes it part of his business here truly to state them: As that of Nabonassar, of the Olympiad Computation, of the Foundation of the City of Rome, of the Calippic Period, of the Years of the Seleucidae, the Dionysian, Tyrian, and many more; among which are several Epochas of Time, antecedent to those just now mention'd; as that of the Destruction of Troy; the Floods of Ogyges and Deucalion; and beyond these, the Original of those Ancient Principalities of Sicione, Argos and Athens. And these being determined by our Author, he descends to some of those that are nearer hand; and in the first place, to that Memorable Epocha, wherein all Chronologers, old and new, do agree, which is the Beginning of the Principality of Cyrus, which was Ann. i. Olympiad. 55. Whence appears the true State of the Persian Succession, from Cyrus to Alexander, or from the taking of Babylon by the former, unto the taking of the same by the later. Next, he passes to the points of Time belonging to Alex. Magnus; then, to the Succession of the Ptolomaei, to the Death of Cleopatra; then, to the Syro-Macedonian Succession, from Seleucus Nicanor to Antiochus Asiaticus. From this Epocha, he tacks about, returning to the head of the Persian Dignity under Cyrus, which head was Arbaces's Revolt from the Assyrian Monarchy, here manifested to be a compleat Century of Years before the common received Reckoning by Olympiads. And as a concurrent in time with the Medes, he doth in this place explicate the Lydian Succession. After which he exhibits the Babylonian Succession, beginning at Nabonassar, unto the expugnation of Babylon by Cyrus, and the extermination of Nabonidas: And then, the Assyrian Succession from Belus to Sardanapalus; which he clears from Objections, and especially a main one of Bishop Usher. To which he subjoins two other Lines of Succession preceding to the Tyrian, Assyrian, but subsequent one of them to the other, fell of the Chaldean and the Arabian: Where he notes the Extravagance of the Chaldean Reckoning. And so our Author is at length got up to the Head of the Asian Government, as far as Human Writers could guide him. After this, he proceeds to the Egyptian Succession, and having taxed the Vaunt of this Nation concerning their Antiquity, and consider'd what other Chronologers do deliver of their Succession, he gives us a perfect Scheme of their Chronology, from Menes, to the Conquest of Egypt by Alexander Magnus. This done, he examines the Chinensian Succession in their several Families, as it is shew'd by D. Isaac Vossius out of Martinus; as also by Joh. Nienhoff; arguing withal the credibility thereof. Having thus in many places of the World searched out the Originals of Government, by following the Line of their Successions ordine retrogrado; he passes in the last place to survey the Reckonings of the Holy Land, the Jews and Hebrews of old Time, according to those Ancient Records, the H. Scriptures; that so if he can obtain this end of his labours, which is, to see a good agreement between these several Lines, viz. of the Gentile Draught, and of the Jewish protraction, men may lie down well content therewith, as having master'd a matter of no small importance. Here then, he shews a sure (as he esteems it) connexion of Sacred and Profane Story in the first year of Evilmerodac; represents a Scheme of Concurrent Successions from Nabopolassar to the death of Alexander M; gives a true state of the Babylonian Succession from Evilmerodac to Darius the Mede; expounds Daniel's LXX Weeks in the next Literal sense, giving withal, in due place, an Interpretation of the same Week, in the Mystical sense; makes the first of Cyrus or the Persian Monarchy, the same with that of the Jewish Reduction out of Babylon, esteeming that as a second Point of connexion of Sacred and Secular History. This done, he makes a digression to a sober inquiry touching the Business of the Great Synagogue in digesting and compiling the Body of H. Scriptures of the Old Testament, as by us received. To which he subjoyns a Scheme of High Priests, from the Return of the Babylonian Captivity to the Death of Alexander M. out of Syncellus; adding his own amendments thereunto. These matters being dispatched by him, and thereby the passage smoothed for our Author's further progress, he gives us the course of Succession in the Line of the Jewish High Priests from Jaddua, to the extinction of the High Priesthood itself: In the doing of which, he settles the Scheme of Herod's Line, as a thing very useful for the understanding of the Books of the New Testament, and for the fixing of his Intended Scheme. After that our Author hath follow'd his design down along the course of Succession amongst the People of the Jews, as far as was needful, and even possible for him, unto the Destruction of Jerusalem under Titus, which he places in the Year of the Julian Per. 4783, Ær. Chr. vulg. 70; He returns to the Point of Time whence this Line began to be drawn, which was a former destruction of City and Temple under Nebuchadnezzar, An. Jul. Per. 4125. From whence he continues his Line upwards, as high as the Creation, by the direction of the H Scripture, in agreement with other approved Reckonings, to be met within Forrain Writers. And this Line he divides into these four Spaces: 1. From the conflagration of the Temple last mentioned, unto the first Erection of the same by Solomon. 2. From the Building of the same, unto the Deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt. 3. From thence to the Birth of Abraham. 4. From this to Noah's Flood, and so to the Creation: Noting, upon occasion, the seeming Difference between the Scriptures, Josephus, and Julius Africanus, and masterly reconciling them; though the Difference between the Masora and the Septuagint, in the Years of the Geniture of the Patriarchs, i.e., in his Judgment as well as in that of others, irreconcilable. And here, he takes occasion to intimate the design of the Offending Party; examining and refelling the Charge against the LXXII; and asserting, that the Numbers which we have in our Books of the LXXII (generally speaking) are the very same with those which were of the Septuagint's description; and proving it by Jul. Africanus, Eusebius, Demetrius, and others; and acknowledging Josephus to be an unreprovable Witness of the truth of these Numbers, and alledging Dr. Is. Vossius, as a Learned vindex of him. To which he adds, that the reckoning by these Numbers hath been the constant Reckoning of all Christian Churches for the the first 900 years, and more; as also, that the Reckoning of the Eastern Churches is the very same to this day. He takes also notice, that the Credit of the Septuagint was at first questioned by Miscreant Jews, afterwards confronted by cross Translations of Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion, all of them adverse to the Christian Doctrine. Further, he lays open the opportunity, which the Rabbies, that lived in Adrian's time, had of making an alteration in the Hebrew Copies, that were then in being; and shews the unconcernedness of Christians in that matter. Where he also declares his account of the present Hebrew Copy; which though it be to him considerable, yet is it not (with him) of force sufficient to make him suspect the truth of the LXX in the Premisses. And if it be demanded, why the said Rabbies should be more solicitous about this matter of Curtailing these Numbers of the Age of the World, than about altering any thing besides, which perhaps would have been more to their purpose, as, for Example, in the Texts which concern the Person and Office of the Messiah; if they had a mind, or dared, to have made an alteration at all? He answers, That they must needs see, that the Allowance of these Numbers of the LXXII, would have prov'd the absolute ruine of their Cause more effectually, than anything that could be alleged against them. For, it would have demonstrated the Time of the Messiah to have been fully come and past, according to the general Tenor of their Schools, following herein the appointments of the Prophets, and of those others that were the later Commentators: Now more especially at such time, when after the Destruction of City, Temple, Government, 5500 years of the Worlds continuance being over, what more could they expect of a Messiah yet to come within his appointed time? For, it is but of late days, that they use this desperate Plea, that it is for their Sins the Messiah still delays his coming. Whereas for other Texts, which do refer to the Person and Office of the Messiah, pointed at in the Books of the Prophets, they had wit and means enough, as they thought, to elude the force of them by a sinister interpretation; as we see since, they have a (sorry) shift so to do. Having given this account of his sense concerning the Septuagint, and of the Motive inducing the later Jews to the Alteration mention'd; he further observes the guilt of the Samaritans rans of the like Transgression, upon the same account; yet noting withal the difference between them, as a Confutation of each other: Concluding this whole Part, with his Declaration on be- half of the LXX, and the Terms of his Submission; as also with four other Charges against the shorter Reckoning (which seem very important;) and with Reflexions on what Petavius hath done in defence of the Vulgar Latin; and of what Bishop Usher, in defence of the Masora: Shewing withal a perfect Agreement of the Septuagint's Reckoning with the Memorials of Secular History, Chinensian, Chaldaean, Egyptian. And so much of the Second Part. The third and last Part, which is Canonical, (as the first hath been Didactic, and the second, Apolectic,) is drawn much after the Pattern of Helvius the German Chronologer, (as is owned by the Author himself,) which is one of the most compre- hensive and best Forms that is extant. I I. A TOULCH-STONE for Gold and Silver Wares, or, a Manual for Gold-smiths, and all other persons, whether Buyers, Sellers or Wearers of any manner of Gold- Smiths work, &c. By W. B. of London Gold-Smith, in 8°. Think myself obliged to take notice of this piece, in re- gard of the honesty and ingenuity of the Author; of the curious Art; of the weighty concernments universally to all men; and for a proper Adjunct to Mr. Boyles Essay-Instru- ment, described N. 115. p. 329. and in reference to an Adver- tisement on the same, publish'd N. 116. 353. The Author dis- covers herein the Rules belonging to the Mystery of all sorts of Goldsmiths work; and the way and means to know adulterated Wares from those that be of the true standard-Allay; and what are the true Weights appointed for the same: Together with the Sta- tutes now in force for Regulating Abuses committed in that Craft; as also the Charter of the Gold-smiths Incorporation, taken from the Record, and truly rendred into English. To which are annexed the Laws in force against Brass-Hilts, and Brass- Buckles; with Directions for discovering the counterfeit Coyn of this Kingdom, and also a Catalogue of the Foreign Coyns, with the particular Weights, Allay, and Value of each Coyn. It were a blessed work, if the Wares of all Gold-smiths in all our Cities, Towns, and Villages, were frequently examined by Authority; since 'tis believed, that there are too many notorious Cheats, from the Massy-Plate to the Wedding Ring, Thimble and Bodkin; so that the harmless Milk-maid can hardly escape a fraud on a Fair-day.