THE names which Sir Ifaac thought were but different appellations of Sefoftris in various countries, are all in fucceffion, in the Pedigree of Milefius, as the regular defcendants from Magog; an argument fufficient to confute that opinion; but fome particulars concerning them will be more decifive.

In this noble monument of antiquity, the Pedigree of Milefius, it appears that Magog begat Baath; Baath begat Finiufa Farfa; Finiufa begat Nil, or rather Niul; Niul was the father of the great Gadelas; Gadelas of Eafru; Eafru of Sru; Sru of Heber Scot; Heber of Oghamamh: and this is carried down to Milefius, who is the eighteenth defcendant from Gadelas. Here we see that those names, thought to have been only different titles of Sefoftris, are absolutely the proper names of the defcendants of Magog, in fucceffion to each other, in a right line; which could never have been known, if this register had not been preserved by the Magogian bards in their own tongue. Magog was the founder of the first Scythian monarchy, after the flood; and was succeeded by his fon Baath, of whom not much is faid in the Irish Annals; but Finiufa Farfa, the next heir, was he who made a great figure, and of whom, with some of his kindred, I shall give a short sketch in this place, from the ancient records of Ireland.

THERE is something very particular in this monarch's history, as delivered by these filids. He is faid to have been a prince of an uncommon genius for learning, applying himself, in a most affiduous manner, to the ftudy of languages; and, at length, to have made himself mafter

of many; for some time before he was established in his government, there arofe, according to this Magogian Hiftory, a variety of tongues, from the building of Babel by the fons of Nimrod; and before this, that all the then inhabitants of the earth fpoke but one language. Here again is an amazing agreement with Holy Writ, and yet they had among them this account all along, even before the birth of Mofes. And that while they were bufied about this tower, in order to preserve themselves from another flood, by carrying it up higher than they fancied water could reach, the filids fay, that Heber, of the family of Shem, admonished them against such an enterprize, and refused joining in it; alledging, that it was a wicked attempt, and a vain one, carried on in defiance of heaven, whofe ordinations there was no refisting. They were not moved with his remonftrance, but obftinately perfevered in their refolution, when in the midst of it, a strange confufion in their language broke out and fruftrated their defigns. Heber, for his pious behaviour upon this occafion, had his language preferved pure in his family, fay these records.

THIS Finiufa, the Scythian monarch, from his defire to attain the language of Heber, and as many others as he could, fent out feveral learned men, by fome of the filids it is faid seventy-two, for fo many dialects are faid to have arisen from that confufion, in the several countries, which were by this time diftinguished into governments, in order to learn their tongues; and they were limited to feven years abfence, for accomplishing that noble defign; in the mean time, he refolved to go himself into

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Machfeanair, (Shinar) which was not remote from the place where the language of Shem's family was in common ufe, in order to acquire that. However, he waited till the return of as many of thefe miffioners as were alive, and commanded them to inftruct the Scythian youth in all they had acquired; and then, having settled the government upon his eldest son, Nenuall, he fet out upon his expedition, from Scythia, and arrived safe at Machseanair, and there erected fchools for teaching the languages, and other sciences, according to chronicles of very high antiquity, and the affent of several ancient poets, or filids.

WHEN thefe fchools were established, he called to the professorships two able and most learned men, to his affistance, and invited the youth of the neighbouring countries to frequent the schools, for inftruction.

THE names of thefe were Gadel, fon of Eatheoir, of the pofterity of Gomer, and Caoih far, fon of Neamba, the Hebrew; and now it appears, from one of the bards, that the Fenius, mentioned before in the comparative view juft delivered, was that king Finiufa Farfa, who, while others of the filids call him by his proper name, in relating the fame facts, claffes him, with the other two masters, under the name Fenius, which is indeed the fame word, if we omit the a in Feniufa.

Ir does not appear that he met with the leaft obftruetion, in this glorious undertaking in Shinar, though it was then chiefly occupied by the tribes under Nimrod's grandsons, and in the neighbourhood of fome of Shem's defcendants; and, indeed, it is very natural that he should. rather be carefied than refifted by any nation, into which

he

went to introduce learning, and to polish and refine the manners of mankind.

Ir appears again, from fome of the filids, that these three first invented and formed an alphabet; which is not unlikely, if we confider that it is insisted on by many authors, that the Phoenicians were the inftructers of the nations they went to, from time to time; and it is more than probable their name is derived from this Scythian monarch, Feniusa, who founded their schools, and began to propagate arts, languages and sciences in their country; and it appears, that the house of Japhet was more learned than that of either of the other two brothers, which will be made manifeft, towards the end of this chapter.

Feniufa continued twenty years to preside over these first feminaries of learning, and it appears that his second fon, Niul, was with him all the time; fome of the bards fay this fon was born in Machfeanair; others, that he was born in Scythia fome time before his father went from thence: however this be, he is placed next his father, in the table of genealogy, and no notice taken of Nenuall, his eldest, who succeeded him in his government; where they leave him and his fucceffors, and pursue the iffue only of Niul, the father of Gadelas; for which there is a very natural reason: because it is from Niul, and his line, that Milefius fprung, whofe hiftory they exprefsly purfued, and followed his fons into Spain and Ireland. Yet it is very evident, that whilst Niul was in Egypt, where we shall conduct him by and by, there were frequent intercourses between him and the Scythians, his countrymen, upon commercial, as well as other accounts.

Fenius,

Fenius, after having remained twenty years in Shinar, with his fon Niul, who, by this time, grew famous himself in arts and languages, was in fuch high esteem with the neighbouring nations, that they were almost ready to pay him divine honours; and returned to his kingdom, and refumed the reigns of government; and left the several schools, that he established, to the care of able mafters, under the presidency of his fon Niul; and in some time after he died, and his fon Nenual came again to the throne. But when Fenius returned to his kingdom from Shinar, he was accompanied by the two great profeffors, whom he joined to himself in the foundation of those seminaries of learning, mentioned before, Gadel and Caoib. Far; and the first orders he gave them, was to regulate the language, and appropriate, out of it, different dialects to different ftations of the feveral orders of his fubjects; viz. to adapt particular expreffions to the foldiery; others to history and poetry; others to philosophy and medicine; and the last was that which was spoken univerfally by the common people. And this is the language of the native Irish to this day, and, from the first feffor, Gadel the Gomerian, it is called Gaoidealg, or the Irish language.

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THUS were feminaries of learning begun under Fenius, and, in process of time, in imitation of these, others were erected by those who had their education with him, in other nations; till in time Greece became famous for its schools, and continued to be the moft fignal and eminent of any in that part of the world; and long after this time it was, that the Greck tongue, which, as I have before hinted,

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